The Advantages Of Discount Dental Plans

By Nelda Powers


Discount dental plans allow members to get discounts after using the services of a dentist. Plan participants get to choose the dentist to visit from a list of participating dentists. These plans are different from dental insurance in that members do not pay monthly premiums. They only pay a single yearly fee and they can visit any dentist listed in a plan to enjoy discounts.

Participating dentists benefit by having their listing displayed regularly to a large list of potential patients. They therefore agree to charge lower service fees. The discounts in these plans vary. Typically, you will be reimbursed based on the class of services you use. For instance, diagnostic and preventative services may be covered at a hundred percent of the cost of the procedure, while basic restorative services may be covered at eighty percent of the procedure.

Under most dental programs, patients may receive certain services such as yearly teeth cleaning and yearly checkups free or at very low costs. The main benefit of these plans to patients is that they enable them to use the services of dentists even when they do not have enough money. These programs do not pay for the services a patient receives but rather allows him or her to pay discounted rates for such services.

Most plans require dentists to register their fee schedules. This makes it easy to detect if a dentist is overcharging. The other benefit of these plans is that they can allow you to include the members of your family, regardless of the relationship. This is beneficial for people who are not immediate family members.

In general, discount plans have specific defined charges for members such as copayments, deductibles and coinsurance. These expenses help ensure that annual fees remain affordable. There may be limitations of the number of times you can receive a specific service. Your age may also determine which services you may receive at discounted rates.

Dental plans also have a limit on the amount of money they can pay for certain services in a year. After the yearly maximum is reached, participants cannot enjoy discounts on services until the next plan year. However, members who only use routine care services like X rays, exams and cleanings are highly unlikely to reach their annual maximums.

It is essential for members of dental programs to get estimates about the cost of services from their dentist. In this way, they will not get confused after they receive a bill from the professional. They can request their dentist to provide their insurers with a treatment plan so that they can know the amount of money they can save for being in a dental plan. Dentists may also be asked to provide an insurance company with X rays and other supporting documents so that their services can be pre approved.

Your insurance company may provide you with an estimate showing how much will be paid by the plan, the charges you have to pay, the amount that remains toward your deductible and whether you are close to reaching your benefit maximum. It is essential to choose discount dental plans that cover the services you need and also include the dentists you would like to visit. The providers of these programs offer detailed descriptions outlining service coverage, limitations, requirements and exclusions.




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