Dental Opinions
Dental Plan Reviews

This consumer dental blog site is a service to the dental health care insurance community providing consumer dental opinions for dental insurance plans, dental plan procedures, dentist, and the various dental plans sold on the internet such as dental discount plans, reduced dental fee for service, PPO dental insurance plans, DHMO, and dental insurance indemnity products for individual and family dental plans.

 

Consumer website reviews of good, bad, and ugly dentistry. Advocates for dental fairness.

Call Us Today Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm
(310) 534-3444

 

Click here to read the DentalOpinions.com Blog

   
           
 

Discount Dental Plan Reviews, Opinions, Dental Insurance, Forum Discussions and Dental Blog Posts

   
 
 
 

Dental Opinions for Indemnity Plans

This type of dental plan pays the dental office (dentist) on a traditional fee-for-service basis. A monthly premium is paid by the client and/or the employer to an insurance company, which then reimburses the dental office (dentist) for the services rendered. An insurance company usually pays between 50% - 80% of the dental office (dentist) fees for a covered procedures; the remaining 20% - 50% is paid by the client. These plans often have a pre-determined or set deductible amount which varies from plan to plan. Indemnity plans also can limit the amount of services covered within a given year and pay the dentist based on a variety of fee schedules. Some typical features of these plans:

  • High deductibles before coverage begins (well-designed plans don't apply the deductible to preventive services)

  • Probationary periods on certain procedures that last up to a year

  • Annual dollar limit on benefits

  • Chose your own dentist

  • Your average monthly cost: $15 to $25

  • Companies selling these plans are regulated by state insurance departments.

Dental Opinions for Dental HMOs

These insurance plans, also known as "capitation plans," operate like their medical HMO cousins. This type of dental plan provides a comprehensive dental care to enrolled patients through designated provider office (dentist). A Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) is a common example of a capitation plan. The dentist is paid on a per capita (per person) basis rather than for actual treatment provided. Participating dentists receive a fixes monthly fee based on the number of patients assigned to the office. In addition to premiums, client co-payments may be required for each visit. Some typical features of these plans:

  • Monthly premiums (some require you to prepay a year's worth)

  • Co-payments for office visits

  • Free preventive or routine care

  • You must select from an approved network of dentists

  • May have an initial enrollment fee

  • Annual dollar cap

  • Your average monthly cost: $5 to $15

  • Companies selling these plans are regulated by state insurance departments.

Dental Opinions for Preferred Provider Organizations

Another true insurance plan, a Preferred provider organizations ( PPO) falls somewhere between an indemnity plan and a dental HMO. This plan allows a particular group of patients to receive dental care from a defined panel of dentists. The participating dentist agrees to charge less than usual fees to this specific patient base, providing savings for the plan purchaser. If the patient chooses to see a dentist who is not designated as a "preferred provider," that patient may be required to pay a greater share of the fee-for-service.  A group of dentists agrees to provide services at a deeply discounted rate, giving you substantial savings — as long as you stay in their network. Unlike the more restrictive DHMO, though, you can go out of network and still receive some benefits. Some typical features of these plans:

  • Monthly premiums

  • Annual dollar cap

  • You must stay within the approved network of dentists or pay higher deductibles and co-payments

  • Your average monthly cost: $20-25

  • Companies selling these plans are regulated by state insurance departments.

Dental Opinions for Dental Discount

This type of dental plan is not insurance. The managing organizations have negotiated with local dental offices to establish a set price for a particular dental procedure and offer deep discounts (some from 20-60%) off the regular ADA pricing code. This plan has several advantages over traditional dental insurance plans. This allows a patient to receive immediate service for work without any waiting requirements and no limits on use.

Dental Opinions for Direct Reimbursement Plans

A dental care plan now coming into vogue is the direct reimbursement plan. This is a self-funded benefit plan — not insurance — in which an employer pays for dental care with its own funds, rather than paying premiums to an insurance company or third-party administrator. You, the patient, pay the full amount directly to the dentist, then get a receipt detailing services rendered and the cost, which you show to your employer. The employer reimburses you for part or all of the dental costs, depending on your specific benefits.

Your company might reimburse 100 percent of your first $100 of dental expenses and then 80 percent of the next $500, and 50 percent of the next $2,000, with a total annual maximum benefit of $1,500. Or it might reimburse only 50 percent of your first $1,000, resulting in a $500 yearly cap.
Some typical features of a direct reimbursement plan:

    Some typical features of a direct reimbursement plan:

  • Neither you nor your employer pay monthly premiums

  • Freedom to choose any dentist

  • Typical employer cost: depends on the number of employees and

  • benefit caps

  • Benefits usually capped at $500 to $2,000 annually.

Find a dentist at InsuranceCompany.com - Click Here!

 

 

.......

Contact your dental health care professional for a final dental opinion.
 The information contained in this site is not a medical opinion or dental opinion.
 
2022-07-26T10:08:25+00:00 Reviewed. Harbor City - Los Angeles, California.