Different Types of Dental Insurance

Posted on August 4, 2009 in Wellness%2C Fitness and Diet by admin

These days everyone has an opinion about health care and medical insurance in the USA, but almost everyone agrees on one thing - having some reliable form of insurance coverage is a huge advantage. Within the large arena of health insurance - which runs the gamut from child care to retirement home insurance for seniors and everything in between - there are essentially two major types of dental insurance. One is the dental insurance indemnity plan, and the other is referred to as the managed care insurance plan. Both of these types of insurance provide coverage according to the terms of the individual policy, and there are pros and cons associated with each type or category of insurance - depending upon your own unique needs and preferences.

Dental indemnity insurance is typically the plan of choice for those people who like to have more options when it comes to their dental care. With this kind of coverage you can usually pick your own dentist, for example, whereas the managed care dental plans usually stipulate that you have to see a dentist who is enrolled in a program and authorized by the insurance company.

The trade-off is that indemnity dental insurance will usually involve filling out paperwork to file claims with the insurer, and then waiting for them to reimburse you for your dental expenses. Most patients carry a deductable - which is a dollar amount that must be paid out of pocket before insurance coverage kicks in - and the higher the deductable, the lower the premiums.

Pick a managed care plan, on the other hand, and although you have to choose a dentist from a list of dental professionals approved by your insurance company you will not usually have to pay for anything up front. Just get the dental work done and let your dentist submit paperwork to get paid, which can save you the out-of-pocket expense and delay in getting reimbursed. You might also get special member discounts from your dentist in exchange for participating in an insurance plan that is offered by the insurance company the dentist works with as a managed care network professional.

These networks or HMOs - sometimes called DHMO which stands for dental health Maintenance Organization - are often so large that your family dentist may already be a member. In that case you don't have to worry about changing dentists or being assigned to a new one you do not already know. But otherwise you may have to pick a dentist different from the one you are accustomed to, and that is biggest drawback of these network type managed care plans.

Then there are other types of dental insurance that you may quality for, if you are in a unique category. Student dental insurance, for example, is designed for those who are enrolled in schools and colleges that provide health care plans. This is a popular type of dental insurance that many students take advantage of, especially while attending universities.

If you are a member of the military you may also be entitled to special discounted dental insurance under a military dental insurance plan, and some of those military dental insurance benefits also extend to your immediate family. So under a military plan in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or even National Guard you may be able to provide dental insurance for not just yourself but also your spouse and children.

To find out more about various dental insurance options, just talk to your dentist or insurance agent.

About the Author: With an intense passion for optimal care comes Dr. Burton's emphasis on exceptional service and esthetics. The services available in his Grand Rapids office are extensive and his team is highly trained to help create healthy, beautiful smile for each patient. http://www.danielburtondds.com

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