Dental Discount Plans: A Way To Lower Dental Costs For Non-Insured Dental Patients
I'm Sure You'd Rather Someone Else Pay (Or Give A Big Discount) For Your Dental Plan. Not Happening? Here's The Next Best Thing.
The traditional expectation of dental coverage is that someone else, usually an employer, pays. But if you're part of the nearly 50% of Americans (a number likely to grow in this struggling economy) who don't have employer-paid dental plans, a discounted dental (dental discount) plan could be the next best choice. Here's why:
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| CATEGORY | DESCRIPTIONS | FEES | METRO AREA | STATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIAGNOSTIC | D0120 Periodic oral evaluation | $33 | National Sample | NA |
| DIAGNOSTIC | D0150 Comprehensive oral evaluation | $53 | National Sample | NA |
| DIAGNOSTIC | D0274 X-Ray: Bitewings-4 films | $49 | National Sample | NA |
| PREVENTIVE | D1110 Prophylaxis-adult | $58 | National Sample | NA |
| RESTORATIVE | D2140 Amalgam filling-1 surface, primary or permanent | $88 | National Sample | NA |
| RESTORATIVE | D2330 Resin-based filling composite 1 surface, anterior | $108 | National Sample | NA |
| RESTORATIVE | D2750 Crown-porcelain fused to high noble metal | $760 | National Sample | NA |
| ENDODONTICS | D3330 Molar (excluding final restoration) | $780 | National Sample | NA |
| PERIODONTICS | D4341 Periodontal scaling and root planing, 4 or more teeth, per quad. | $181 | National Sample | NA |
| PROSTHODONTICS | D5110 Complete denture-maxillary | $850 | National Sample | NA |
-Dental plans that are paid by your employer virtually always have a discounted fee schedule, meaning the dentist reduces his fees. A dental discount plan has the same reduction, usually by the same amount. So, you get the cost reduction or discount that a large group-style insurance company would receive, without being part of a large traditional dental plan network.
-Unlike individual insurance-based dental plans (not group or employer type dental plans, but dental plans that are true insurance just for one family or person), there's no waiting period with discount dental plans. This is a key point since with individually paid (not to be confused with single payer, which is like the government paying all insurence like medicare) insurance. This is a key point since the premium one pays under individual dental insurance coupled with the caps on care payouts usually makes dental insurance for the individual a marginal return at best.
-There's no cap on the treatment, though admittedly that's because you're essentially paying out of pocket. Still, like insurance-based dental, the reduced fee covers all treatment within the membership period, so if you need a lot of treatment, it can be a significant savings.
-Dental discount plans, like any insurance program, are limited to certain dentists. However, the pool of accepting dentists can be large depending on your area. And if a dentist of your choice is not on one, it is often less difficult to get them to join than to have them accept another insurance program since there is less paperwork associated with dental discount plans. Plus they get instant payment - something dentists favor since almost any type of insurance (except for some company "self-insured plans") makes them wait long periods for payment.
There are other reasons, but if a dental discount plan sounds interesting, use this section of www.allpricer.com to evaluate the different plans and approaches by going through each of these steps:
2. Check Prices Given To Others