ShareThisOver the years I’ve had many people ask me about dental insurance. If you are not covered by an employer’s policy there are three types of plans to consider:
- Plans that offer health and dental insurance
- Stand-alone dental insurance plans
- Discount plans (these plans are not insurance plans)
Insurance Plans that Combine Health & Dental
The dental insurance plans offered to individuals and families as part of a health insurance plan are also often good plans. You will probably find the best prices for individual dental insurance when you purchase a policy has both dental and medical included. Aetna and BCBS Tonik offer dental insurance as part of a their health insurance plans. Aetna charges $16 extra per person per month to add dental coverage to their non-group policies. Tonik has dental insurance built in. These plans offer excellent coverage for preventative and diagnostic treatment. They do not provide substantial coverage for anything else.
Stand-Alone Dental Insurance Plans
Although we offer these programs, I’m not convinced that they are right for everyone. They may be overpriced in many situations. These plans will limit the benefits to one or two thousand per year. This means that not having this type of coverage doesn’t increase one’s exposure by much. At least the exposure is much less than when compared to going without health insurance. I often suggest that my clients consider paying for their dental expenses out of their pocket.
Discount Plans
Unlike discount plans that cover health expenses, these can be a good deal for dental coverage. They are much less expensive than the stand-alone dental plans and offer immediate coverage for major work. To be clear The coverage is limited to a discount on the costs. These plans are not insurance plans, but I do think that they often offer a good value.
Dental Discount Plan quotes and information are available on our sister site.
The dental insurance plans offered through employers are often excellent. These plans offer coverage for extractions, crowns and other procedures. I’ve taken advantage of the plan offered through my wife’s employer. She works for the school system in Westport, CT. This type of coverage is much better than the plans offered to Connecticut residents who purchase coverage on their own.
Many of my clients expect that their coverage will be on a par with the dental coverage they had with their last employer. Unfortunately that is not the case. However, there are dental plans available to individuals and families, just make sure that you have a good understanding of the limitations of these plans
