Saturday, February 1, 2014

What You Need To Know About Discount Dental Plans

By Nelda Powers


Discount dental plans can be defined as arrangements that allow patients to receive discounts on cost of services. They have a list of participating dentists that a person can go to for services. Unlike dental insurance that requires you to pay monthly premiums, this plan has a onetime fee. You can also see any participating dentist to receive the discounts.

Participating dentists agree to charge less for their services in return for having their listings regularly displayed to a large list of patients. There is variation in the discounts offered in these plans. In general, you will enjoy lower rates depending on the type of services you use. For example, this plan may allow you to enjoy preventive and diagnostic services free and cover 80 percent of the cost of basic restorative services.

With many dental plans, you may save a significant amount of money on services like annual teeth cleaning and annual checkups. The main benefit of these programs is that they enable you to visit a dentist even when your budget is tight. They do not pay for the services you receive. Instead, they allow you to get discounts on the procedures you undergo at the practice of a dentist.

Most dental discount programs require service providers to list their fees. This lets you know how much each listed dentist charges. Another advantage of singing up for such programs is that you may include any family member you want. This can benefit people who are not your immediate family members.

In general, discount plans have specific defined charges for members such as copayments, deductibles and coinsurance. These expenses help ensure that annual fees remain affordable. There may be limitations of the number of times you can receive a specific service. Your age may also determine which services you may receive at discounted rates.

Dental programs also have a dollar limit that they pay for in a year. After the annual maximum is reached, these programs do not provide coverage for additional services, until the beginning of the next plan year. You will probably not reach your yearly maximum if you only utilize routine care services like cleanings, X rays, and exams.

It is important that you get a quotation from your dentist in order to know exactly how much money the procedures you need to undergo will cost. You can ask your service provider to submit the treatment plan to your insurer so that you can know how much money the plan will help you save. Your dentist may also submit supporting documents so that his or her service can be pre approved.

Your insurer can provide you with information about the reduced rates the plan allows you to enjoy, how much you will pay for services, how much money remains towards your deductible and if you are close to reaching your yearly dollar limit. When comparing discount dental plans, you should select one that lists the dentist you would like to visit and provides coverage for the services you need. The providers of these plans usually outline the services covered, requirements, limitations and exclusions in a detailed manner.




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