Dental Insurance Vs. Dental Discount Plans | LADD Dental Group

Dental insurance versus dental discount plans

"Before jumping into details, here’s a quick overview of the two offerings:

Dental insurance

Individual dental insurance costs more than insurance through an employer. According to the most recent figures from the National Association of Dental Plans, individual plans cost $4-$15 more per month than group plans (those offered through employers) and $20-$35 more for family plans. In 2016, the average DHMO (similar to HMOs for health insurance) premium cost $14.06 per month for employee-only coverage. The average DPPO cost $24.49 per month. Premiums for individual insurance would be higher, based on past research.

DHMOs are generally cheaper than DPPOs, both in premium and in service cost, but only if you go to an in-network provider, according to Guardian Life Insurance. Most DHMO networks are small, limiting your provider options, and you may be required to choose a primary care dentist. DPPO plans have larger networks and allow you to go to any dentist, though they may offer the best discount at in-network providers. DPPOs may have a maximum limit on coverage (often up to $2,000) per adult per year, while DHMOs do not have annual maximums, according to dental insurer Solstice Benefits.

Many dental insurance plans fully cover preventative care, like two cleanings and one set of X-rays per year. Insurers also tend to cover the majority (generally 80 percent) of basic procedure costs about half the cost of major procedures, according to Guardian Life. How much you have to pay will depend on the copay (DHMO) or coinsurance (DPPO) amounts set by your insurance. Your plan may or may not cover orthodontics, so that’s something to consider when shopping around. 

Dental discount plans

With a discount plan, you pay a monthly or annual membership fee and will receive a discounted price on services. We looked at several discount plans on the comparison site DentalInsurance.com, and monthly membership fees for an individual range from about $8-$15, though costs vary by location.

Dental discount plan networks may be more limited than insurance networks, and compared with insurance, the out-of-pocket costs are often higher for patients. You can get full coverage of preventive care with a discount plan, but it’s less common than it is with insurance. With discount plans, there are no copays or coinsurance; rather, there are set discounts on specific services. Discounts range from about 20-50 percent, with routine procedures getting the highest discounts.

Based on a review of dental discount plans available online, it’s clear you’ll have to compare multiple plans to get a sense of your potential savings, as costs and coverage vary by provider and location.

Factors to consider when choosing one option over another
At first glance, you may think the only difference between dental insurance and a dental discount plan is the cost and amount of coverage, but there’s more to consider. 

When do you need coverage to start?

Some insurance plans may allow you to get a cleaning or X-ray right away, but there are often waiting periods.

“It’s common to see six-month waits for fillings and one year for major services,” says Adam Hyers, owner of Hyers and Associates, an independent life and health insurance agency in Columbus, Ohio. “These waiting periods prevent consumers from abusing the plan” — using the insurance for a procedure and then dropping it right away.

By contrast, dental discount plans don’t have any waiting periods. It may take a few business days for your membership to go through. If you have an immediate (nonemergency) need, you may be able to pay for a dental discount plan and get a discount on the procedure a few days later. 

How many options do you want?

An important consideration is how many dentists you can choose from, and if there’s a well-rated in-network dentist nearby. If you already have a dentist you like, check with the office to see if it will accept the insurance or discount plans you’re considering.

Brian Correia is a director of sales and client services for Solstice Benefits, which provides dental insurance and dental discount plans in five states. Correia says that generally, dentists who are just starting out will participate in dental discount plans and insurance networks because they’re trying to grow their customer base. Established dental businesses and chains might only accept insurance plans, although some offer in-house discount plans. Then there are dental practitioners who have a loyal client base.

“They may not take any insurance or discount plans, because people will keep coming to them and pay out of pocket,” says Correia. He adds that from a practitioner’s perspective, it’s easiest and most profitable to receive out-of-pocket payments from clients.

Dental insurance is the next most profitable for dental offices, because the dentist receives your copay or coinsurance and gets reimbursed from the insurance company. However, with a dental discount plan, the dentists only get what you pay — they don’t receive anything from the plan provider. That’s why new dentists, aiming to grow their client base, are often the only ones who accept discount plans and why your options may be limited. 

What do the plans really cover?

As with any contract, you should carefully read the fine print before paying for insurance or a discount plan. Otherwise, you might be surprised to find out when you need to pay for a procedure, and how much it’ll cost you.

“With crowns and bridges, you might see a copay of $250 for a crown or bridge with an asterisk next to it,” Correia says. Read the content associated with the asterisk. It may say that laboratory fees — like the cost to get your new tooth molded — aren’t part of that copay and aren’t covered. You could also have to pay a materials fee if you want a more expensive material. And some inexpensive insurance policies may not offer any coverage for high-cost procedures, like a root canal.

Another fine-print point to consider is that your cost can vary depending on the dentist. Even two dental plan or insurance in-network dentists may charge different prices for the same procedure.

If you already have a dentist whom you want to stay with, you may want to call and confirm how different coverage will affect your costs. If you’re looking for a new dentist, create a short list of well-rated or recommended dentists and ask what your net cost will be before buying insurance or a dental plan. 

Which option is best for you?

Compared with having no coverage at all, you can save money with either a dental insurance plan or a dental discount plan.

If you already have a dentist whom you like to visit and are looking to save money, your best bet may be to ask which options the dentist accepts and compare the costs for your family’s general needs. When you don’t have a dentist, it can be more difficult to compare all the different insurance and discount plans available.

For those who regularly get cleanings and don’t have a history of dental problems, a dental discount plan could provide adequate coverage for a low monthly fee. Although you may only break even or save a little money on your twice-a-year cleanings and annual X-ray, you’ll have some added security in knowing you can save money on other procedures. However, since the discount plan isn’t likely to cover the entire cost for major work, you may want to have some savings set aside for an emergency.

Buying dental insurance on your own could make both routine visits and emergencies more affordable, and may be the best option if you have a large family. But for individuals and those who aren’t prone to needing expensive dental care, the premiums can be so high, and the annual coverage limits so low, that you won’t always get a benefit. All of this info and more can be found at https://www.magnifymoney.com/blog/news/whats-the-difference-between-dental-insurance-and-dental-discount-plans712034407/" 

Here at LADD Dental Group, we offer our own dental discount plan, DentalOne. Because we offer full service dentistry, our discount plan is much more advantageous than most! We offer our DentalOne Plan at all six of our General Dentistry locations, as well as our Periodontics office and Oral Surgery Center! Give us a call today, and experience the LADD Dental difference!!