The Disadvantages of a Dental Insurance Plan

When many people take a job they hope to have a good “benefits” package which usually includes healthcare coverage, retirement plans and other financial support options. Unfortunately many consumers are presented with the option of buying into their employer’s dental insurance plan at the same time they choose their health insurance coverage. Why is that unfortunate? A good review of the traditional dental insurance plan shows that it may not be the best option.

Almost any kind of healthcare coverage is going to have requirements, restrictions and limitations. When getting dental care for example, a dental insurance package may require a waiting period for major procedures, have “caps” or limitations on annual coverage and require all kinds of documentation or pre-approval in order for a patient to proceed.

What does all of this mean? Imagine you have a terrible toothache. You go to the dentist that is covered under your employer’s dental insurance program. There it is discovered that you are going to need a root canal. Unfortunately, the terms of the coverage will not pay for the procedure until a full six months have passed since the time of enrollment. Will you have to wait for months with the pain and threat of further problems? The chances are that you would simply pay for the procedure out of your pocket, which could cost upward of five or six hundred dollars!

Under the terms of a discount dental plan, however, you could have signed up only a few weeks or days before and, upon visiting a network dentist, receive the care at the standard cost, minus the plan’s significant discount. This means that there is no waiting, no paperwork and a guaranteed cost for immediate care.

Additionally, just like many health insurance providers, dental insurance companies tend to refuse assistance with pre-existing conditions. This means that a crown or capped tooth that presents a problem may not be covered by the insurance plan if the crown was applied before the patient began their coverage.

So, the real question is “why pay premiums to a dental insurance company that may refuse a majority of the services needed?” The answer is “don’t”. Millions of individuals and families have opted instead to enroll in a discount dental plan instead. Their low monthly membership fees provide them with access to a wide range of dental and specialty care at discounts of thirty percent or more. There are no waiting periods placed upon specific treatments, which means that there a no months of wasted membership payments while waiting for access to “covered” care.

Many of the best discount dental plans are nationwide and have dentists and specialists in every area of the country. This is great because it means a member’s coverage is highly portable. It also means the convenience of never having to fill out lengthy applications in order to be “approved” for coverage ever again. If you are interested in having unlimited dental care it is best to look into a discount dental plan, as it will probably provide better dental coverage than most dental insurance plans.