What You Need To Know About Discount Dental Plans

By Nelda Powers


Discount dental plans allow members to get discounts after using the services of a dentist. Plan participants get to choose the dentist to visit from a list of participating dentists. These plans are different from dental insurance in that members do not pay monthly premiums. They only pay a single yearly fee and they can visit any dentist listed in a plan to enjoy discounts.

Participating dentists agree to charge less for their services in return for having their listings regularly displayed to a large list of patients. There is variation in the discounts offered in these plans. In general, you will enjoy lower rates depending on the type of services you use. For example, this plan may allow you to enjoy preventive and diagnostic services free and cover 80 percent of the cost of basic restorative services.

With many dental plans, you may save a significant amount of money on services like annual teeth cleaning and annual checkups. The main benefit of these programs is that they enable you to visit a dentist even when your budget is tight. They do not pay for the services you receive. Instead, they allow you to get discounts on the procedures you undergo at the practice of a dentist.

Most plans require dentists to register their fee schedules. This makes it easy to detect if a dentist is overcharging. The other benefit of these plans is that they can allow you to include the members of your family, regardless of the relationship. This is beneficial for people who are not immediate family members.

Discount programs usually have certain defined expenses for members like deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. These cost sharing elements help keep fees at affordable levels to control costs. There can be limitations on how many times you can receive a particular service. Your age can also determine the kind of services that can be discounted.

Dental programs also have a dollar limit that they pay for in a year. After the annual maximum is reached, these programs do not provide coverage for additional services, until the beginning of the next plan year. You will probably not reach your yearly maximum if you only utilize routine care services like cleanings, X rays, and exams.

It is essential for members of dental programs to get estimates about the cost of services from their dentist. In this way, they will not get confused after they receive a bill from the professional. They can request their dentist to provide their insurers with a treatment plan so that they can know the amount of money they can save for being in a dental plan. Dentists may also be asked to provide an insurance company with X rays and other supporting documents so that their services can be pre approved.

Your insurer can provide you with information about the reduced rates the plan allows you to enjoy, how much you will pay for services, how much money remains towards your deductible and if you are close to reaching your yearly dollar limit. When comparing discount dental plans, you should select one that lists the dentist you would like to visit and provides coverage for the services you need. The providers of these plans usually outline the services covered, requirements, limitations and exclusions in a detailed manner.




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