What is Covered Under and Individual Dental Plan?

Information on Individual Dental Plans

“What does an individual dental plan cover?” is a very common question that many people ask in the realm of dental care and insurance. Although this may seem like a very simple question to answer it is often much more complicated than one may think and may even be considered a loaded question. What exactly does the asker mean when they pose this question? Here we will cover some of the more common things people mean when they ask what their individual dental plan covers.

Number of Procedures Covered

When people ask what their dental plan covers, they can sometimes be referring to the number of procedures or services it will cover. An individual dental plan will usually carry some type of fee schedule that can be referenced whether it is a full schedule or a sample schedule. This is an important item to consult when comparing different dental coverage plans. Some schedules may include hundreds of different procedures but the savings and individual receives on each one may not be very high – other plans will only cover certain procedures but offer much higher savings amounts on each one.

Covered Costs

Another meaning behind the question above may be what costs the individual dental plan covers. Some individual dental plans will not operate off a percentage basis, meaning that the dentist’s usual price for a procedure goes out the window and they accept the fee schedule set forth by the provider company. This often gives plan holders a sense of security knowing they won’t pay double for a procedure in order to offset a 50 percent discount from the provider. Additionally, some other procedures covered by the plan, such as cosmetic procedures, are set on a percentage basis and are normally highlighted.

Freebies

A third way this question can be explained is what dental plan holders will get free with their plan. Since individual dental plans offer members a discount at the expense of the dentist, there will likely not be any free procedures, such as twice a year cleanings. Individual dental plans do not reimburse dentists like traditional insurance plans would, so dentists will likely not offer any services they will not get paid for. While this may seem strange to those who have always held traditional insurance it is important to keep in mind that the discounts apply to not only cleanings but also a number of other services.

If you would like to learn about alternative dental plans, we can help! The Wellness Dental Plan offers discounted dental care at reasonable prices. For more information, click here.