There are 2 questions you have to ask yourself in order to find the right Dental Insurance plan for your specific needs. Once you know the answers to these questions you can easily narrow your choices to just a few Dental Insurance plans that will fit your budget and needs.
The first question is : Do you have a Dentist you want to continue to see? (Yes/No)
If the answer is Yes, then you will want a PPO Dental Insurance plan. PPO plans allow you to see any dentist or any of the Dentist’s in the insurance company’s network of dentists. The best option is a PPO Dental plan that allows you to see ANY Dentist because this gives you the most options. If the PPO plan only allows you to see Dentist’s in the insurance companies network, then you’ll want to make sure that your Dentist is in that network before you sign up. You can use this link to find out if your Dentist is in an insurance company network: Dental Provider Network List.
If the answer is No, then you can select from the HMO Dental plans, and the PPO Dental plans that require you to use network Dentist’s. These plans will typically cost less than the Dental Insurance plans that allow you to see any Dentist.
The second question is: Is Dental Insurance cost your primary concern? (Yes/No)
If the answer is Yes, then you will want to pick an HMO Dental Insurance plan. These low cost Dental Insurance plans offer preventive services and restorative services at a discounted price. These discounted prices can save you up to 65% off the regular prices. To choose between the HMO Dental Insurance plans you’ll want to look at the benefit descriptions and compare the prices for the services you expect you might need (typical services are office visits, cleanings, cavity fillings [called amalgams or Minor Services], root canals [called endodontics or Major Services], and Crowns [called Major Services]). The downside of HMO Dental Insurance plans is that you will have to select a Dentist from a smaller network of Dentist’s. If you don’t like the Dentist you initially choose, you can switch to another Dentist in the network by calling the insurance company.
If the answer is No, decide which Dentist you would like to see and call their office to ask them which Dental Insurance plans they accept. Most of the time you will get “We accept all PPO Dental plans.” In that case, you can choose from the any of the PPO Dental Insurance plans, and then call the Dentist’s office again and ask them if they will accept the specific PPO Dental Insurance plan you want (just to be safe).
These 2 main questions will enable you to simplify the process of picking a good Dental Insurance plan for your specific needs. Obviously, there are other factors and questions that will impact the final decision, but these questions will significantly reduce your search time. For additional help please contact our office and one of our advisors would love to help you.