Dental Insurance

There are two basic types of dental options that are offered on a group basis. The first is traditional dental and the second is a dental discount plan. Traditional dental is an insurance plan and the later is is a deep discount plan that is negotiated with a select group of dentists.

The Dental Discount Plan
The advantages of a plan like this are:

  1. Deep discounts from the normal provider fees. Many discount range in the area from 50%to 60%.
  2. There are no waiting periods for services to be provided.
  3. There are no annual dollar limits for dental coverage.
  4. The plans are comprehensive; they cover crowns, root canals etc..
  5. The monthly premiums are very low, about $12.75 for a single.
  6. The plans cover preventative care for adults and children.
  7. These plans can be implemented with almost any group size and do not require an employer contribution.

The disadvantage of a DMO is that it has a limited list of dental providers. This limits your choice of dentists and may not include the dentist you use now.

Alpha Individual Dental

 

Traditional Dental Plans

Traditional Dental plans allow you to choose from a broad selection of dentists. Most traditional plans are affiliated with a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). If you use a PPO provider, you will receive discounts from the usual and customary fees .

Traditional dental plans have higher monthly premiums than dental discount plans because they allow much more choice in dentists. Also, traditional plans have an annual limit in the amount of dental coverage each family member is entitled to. The standard amount is usually $1000 per year per family member.

Many traditional plans also have waiting periods before they will cover major services like crowns, bridges and dentures. The most common waiting period for major services is one year.
If you have a current group dental plan, and it has been in force for at least a year, there will be no waiting period with the new insurer. The common design of a traditional dental plan is as follows:
Preventive and diagnostic services are covered 100% with no deductible
Basic services usually have a small annual deductible of $50 and then pay 80% of the usual customary charge.
Major services usually are paid at 50% for covered services.

Here is an example of one of the plans we offer through delta Dental of Colorado. The 2011 rates for this plan are as follows:


Delta Dental Plan

Single                     $29.49
Couple                   $56.63
Employee/ child   $60.17
Family                    $97.92

If you are interested in individual dental insurance quotes click here