Local Dental Care - California Dental Practice

Facts You Should Know About Dental Insurance

What is the best dental insurance plan for financing health care for me?

Choosing a dental expense plan can be a confusing experience. Although there is no one "best" dental payment plan for financing health care, there are some plans that will be better than others for you and your family's dental payment plan needs. We will try to guide you in simple terms. However, rather than just giving you answers, the best thing we can do is to make sure you are equipped with the right questions for the dentists.

There are three major things to consider, each with their own unique set of questions. By considering the questions thoroughly, you will arrive at the right dental payment plan for you and your family.

• How affordable is financing health care (cost of financing health care)?
• How much will a dental payment plan cost me on a monthly basis?
• Should I try to insure just major dental expense or most of my dental expense?
• Can I afford a policy that at least covers my children?
• Are there deductibles I must pay before the insurance begins to help cover my costs?
• After I have met the deductible, what part of my dental expense is paid by the dental plan?
• If I use dentists outside a plan's network, how much more will I pay to get financing health care?
• How often do I visit the dentist and how much will my dental payment plan be each visit?
• Do the included services match my needs (access of health care)?
• What other dental providers are part of the plan?
• Are there enough of the kinds of dentists I want to see?
• Where will I go for financing health care? Are these places near where I work or live?
• Do I need to get permission before I see a dental specialist?
• Are there any limits to how much I must pay in case of a major illness?
• Is the prescription medication which I need covered by the dental plan?
• Have people had good results when covered by a specific dental payment plan?
• How do independent government organizations rate the different dental plans?
• What do my friends say about their experience with a specific plan?
• What does my dentist say about their experience with a specific dental payment plan?

If you consider these elements carefully when choosing a dental financing plan, you can be assured the best possible outcome and minimize dental expense paid by you.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Dental Insurance, What Should You Know

Dental insurance is not meant to be a pay-all. It's only meant to be an aid. You are very fortunate if you have dental insurance coverage and don't have to pay the entire dental fee plan out of your own pocket. Many patients don't have any dental insurance at all. Some patients have excellent dental insurance policies or dental credit, some have fair policies, and some have poor policies. Many plans tell you you'll be covered up to 80% - 100%. In spite of what you're told, most plans cover only 15% - 70% of the average dental fee plan. We realize that every bit of help you get from your insurance company is a big help, and we are glad you have coverage. However, it must be understood that how much your policy covers has already been determined by how much your employer paid for your insurance policy. The less he/she paid for the insurance, the less you'll receive.

FOR EXAMPLE: PLAN Costs a lot of money Costs 1/2 the amount Deductible is $50.00 Deductible is $100.00 Pays $84.00 on a filling Pays $35.00 on a filling Yearly maximum is $1,000 Yearly maximum is $800 It has been the experience of many dentists that some insurance companies tell their customers that "fees are above the usual and customary" rather than saying "our benefits are low."

Your insurance company sets the "allowables" or "a usual and customary dental fee plan" depending on how much your employer paid for your policy. It's just like your car insurance. The lower the benefits you choose, the less it costs you in premiums. Many necessary routine dentistry services are not covered by dental insurance at all. Again, what is covered and what is not is determined by what benefits and dental payment plan your employer purchased for you.

We do not believe it is in your best interest for your treatment to be compromised in order to accommodate an insurance policy's restrictions that may provide you with a quality of care that is considerably less than you deserve.

We strongly feel that you, not your insurance company, should choose the treatment you feel is best for you.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.