Best Dental Insurance Options for the Self-Employed

If you are self-employed, you may be confused with the many available individual all care dental plans available today. You are in a very special situation, and must account for your costs sufficiently. When the employer-covered portion of your premiums and dental care costs are covered by you, the situation changes drastically – but there are methods of determining the best dental insurance options for you.

Unless you are a former insurance professional, all of the lingo and terms may be very confusing. However, there are only a few key points that you need to keep in mind as your own dental insurance provider.

First, you need to know what your annual dental care costs will average in total. If you have been paying cash for all of your expenses until now, this will be quite easy for you. If you recently left a job with full benefits, you may need to call your dentist to get his or her rates for regular checkups, cleanings and x-rays, as well as fillings and other special services.

Next, you must determine your budget for several all care dental plan premiums. Remember that you will be paying for the entire bill, but being covered will protect against the unknown as well as offer discounted regular dental services.

When comparing plans as a self-employed individual, the basic idea to keep in mind is how much you will spend without dental insurance coverage versus how much you will spend with it (including premiums!). The rule of thumb with insurance coverage is this: the higher your coverage (higher discounts and lower deductibles), the higher your premium will be. Thus, if you want to save money on premiums, you will have to choose a higher deductible and leave more to chance.

With a higher deductible all care dental plan, you will still be covered for the major problems that can break the bank. Many companies will also offer discounted rates on your regular dental visits and services, saving you even more money.

However, if you have several children that will most likely require fillings, orthodontics and oral surgery, a lower deductible and higher premium may be more cost effective. This is also true if you know you are pre-disposed to failing dental health and most likely will require major dental services in the future.

There is also another advantage when being self-employed: your premiums are tax-deductible! In addition, you may be eligible for further deductions if you carry an HSA-compatible health insurance plan. These health savings accounts allow you to deduct any and all deposits made to a qualifying account up to a certain amount, and these funds can be used for any health-related expense. This includes dental services, but not health or dental premiums.

Choosing the best dental insurance for your family is no easy task, but comes easier with the more information you have access to. Talk to your accountant and associates who are also self-employed to find quality referrals for an all care dental plan that will fit your needs the best.