Dental Insurance
Dental
Insurance is equally important to Health Insurance because dental
disease is still very prevalent.
Dental care is a very important part of any healthy lifestyle, but
because dental insurance or dental coverage is not included as part of
standard health care insurance, it is something that is often overlooked
or forgotten until it is too late. The rising cost of quality dental
care means that dental insurance might be just what you and/or your
family need to ensure that your teeth remain health and well cared for.
Dental Insurance works very much like health insurance - they come in a
variety of “flavors” if you will. PPO, DHMO, POS, Indemnity and
Scheduled.
PPO:
PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization. Basically, the network
of dentists that the members are referred to offer discounted fees to
the plan members.You can typically use a dentist outside of the PPO’s
network, but you will only be reimbursed the discounted fee for the
services rendered and have to pay any additional amount yourself.
DHMO:
DHMO stands for Dental Health Maintenance Organization. The way a DHMO
works is it provides you dental services through its network of dentists
in exchange for some form of prepayment. If you use a dentist outside of
the network, you will most likely be responsible for the entire bill.
POS:
POS stands for Point of Service. A POS plan allows you to use either a
DHMO dentist or a dentist not in the network. You get to choose
in-network care of out-of-network care when you make your dental
appointment and typically, you will incur higher out-of-pocket costs for
out-of-network care.
Indemnity:
An indemnity plan is also known as a traditional plan. With an indemnity
plan you can visit any dentist you like. They typically pay a percentage
of “usual, customary and reasonable” charges for covered services.
Scheduled:
A scheduled plan or scheduled reimbursement plan reimburses you for a
set amount based on a fee schedule. The balance due, if any is your
responsibility. They include a calendar year maximum, a deductible and
waiting periods for certain procedures.
Most dental coverage is designed to ensure that the patient receives
regular preventive care.
There are three (3) categories of dental
procedures.
1.
Preventative
2.
Basic or Restorative
3.
Major
When you're shopping for a dental plan there are a number of things
you'll need to keep in mind, to make sure that you end up with a policy
that's right for you and your situation. As each individual and family
have different circumstances please contact us today to evaluate your
dental insurance needs and we will work to find the plan the best fits
your needs and budget.
Additional
Resources
-
The American Dental
Association
-
American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry
-
Parent Education
Brochures
Brier Payne Meade, Topeka – (785) 233-1717
Brier Payne Meade, Kansas City – (913) 402-9576
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