Dental Discount Plan Vs. Dental Insurance

A dental discount plan is a membership-based discount plan for dental health maintenance and intervention. In it, the patient pays the entire cost of a rate negotiated between the dentist and the dental patient. Discount dental programs are fee-based plans you buy outright. Dental discount plans are not dental insurance. These discount programs work like a membership program to offer you discounts/savings on various kinds of dental services. They may also come with added other benefits. The dental services you receive under a discount plan will be provided by a network of dentists who have agreed to charge less. The amount of discount will vary by dental service and most, but not all, dental services may be available with this plan. Therefore, it’s important to know upfront the amount of discount by dental service that you can receive when comparing a dental discount plan to other plans you’re considering. It’s also good to know what type of dental services you think that you or your family will need. Check out LADD Dental Group's Dental Discount Plan, DentalOne, in the video below:

Dental insurance, sometimes called a dental plan, is a form of health insurance designed to pay a portion of the costs associated with dental care. Dental insurance policies help many people effectively budget for the cost of maintaining a great smile. Compared with medical insurance, understanding dental insurance policies is a breeze. Most policies are straightforward and specific regarding which procedures are covered and exactly how much you have to pay out of pocket. Dental insurance is available as part of medical insurance plans or as a stand-alone policy. The monthly premiums will depend on the insurance company, your location, and the plan you choose. For many people the monthly premium will be around $50 a month. This means that you’re spending $600 on dental costs each year even if you don’t get any work done. Most dental insurance policies have a waiting period ranging from six to 12 months before any standard work can be done. Waiting periods for major work are typically longer and can be up to two years. These periods are set in place by insurance companies to guarantee that they profit off a new account and to discourage people from applying for a new policy to cover impending procedures. An insurance deductible is the minimum amount that must be paid before the insurance policy pays for anything. For example, if the deductible is $200, and the covered individual’s procedure is $179, the insurance does not kick in and the individual pays the entire amount. Co-pays, which are a set dollar amount, may also be required at the time of the procedure.

Once a dental deductible is met, most policies only cover a percentage of the remaining costs. The remaining balance of the bill paid by the patient is called a copay, which typically ranges from 20% to 80% of the total bill.

As you can see, there are a lot of differences between a discount dental plan and dental insurance. Both deserve to have their place in the dental market, but each plan provides different value propositions to their customers. If you would like to learn more, give the team at LADD Dental Group a call today, and start smiling with confidence!

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