Dental insurance vs. dental discount
plans : make sure you know the difference.
What is dental insurance?
Typically, a dental discount plan will work as a group to get discounts with
dentists within a network. This will save money by acting like a coupon
where you pay an amount considerably less than others without the plan.
These plans are effective in bringing the cost of dental care down.
Another type is a regular dental insurance plan which typically acts like a
health insurance plan.
Dental insurance vs. dental discount plans
Some consumers are confused by the differences between dental insurance and
dental "discount" plans. With dental insurance, you pay regular premiums for
your coverage and your plan has annual spending caps. It generally covers
100 percent of the cost of preventive services after you meet your
deductible.
When you take both large and small employers into account, the number of
employers offering dental insurance drops to 54 percent. According to the
NADP, about 40 percent of the U.S. workforce still lacks dental benefits.
As for your children, if they qualify for the federal/state Children's
Health Insurance Program (CHIP), they might be provided with dental
benefits.
While you might not need to buy a dental plan if you rarely have dental
problems, you might want to join a dental plan if you've had a rough dental
history or if you know you'll need a lot of dental treatment in the near
future.
Costs can vary by state, age, and history for both types of plans.
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