The Best Cheap Dental Insurance

I feel bad about my teeth. They’re oddly small for my mouth, so I’ve had every orthodontic treatment you can rattle off, including headgear, multiple retainers, and braces — twice. I often have nightmares about my teeth and wake in a cold sweat. I’m not alone in my dental anxiety: According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 12 percent of adults ages 20 to 64 haven’t been to the dentist within the past five years. Since minor dental issues generally don’t cause the kind of pain or discomfort we’d expect for medical problems, we convince ourselves that we can get away without worrying. I know I did. That could be why 114 million Americans go without dental insurance, myself included.

I left my full-time job to work freelance eight months ago, and since then, have been playing fast and loose with insurance, so I started my search for the best cheap dental insurance. Without a company-supplemented plan, I thought traditional insurance was out of my financial reach. What I found was that this wasn’t entirely true, and also uncovered some insurance alternatives like dental savings plans that for some could be an even cheaper option.

The Simple Dollar’s Top Picks for Best Cheap Dental Insurance

• Best Overall: Delta Dental
• Best Dental Savings Plans:  Cigna Dental Savings & Humana

Every special snowflake has their own dental history and care needs, so rather than give you one overall pick, I selected a few providers and plans. I looked at 28 dental insurance providers available nationwide to make the selection, which I narrowed down to five contenders. Ultimately, the quotes I received were based on the best deal for a single female under 40 (that’s me!), so if you have a spouse or dependents to cover, you’ll want to look at the information I gathered on family care that’s provided a little later, and see how much it might cost to add individuals to your personal plan (most plans will allow you to add additional members for a lower per person premium).

Here’s something to chew on: Quality preventative dental care is cheaper than you think.

It’s important to understand that dental insurance is nothing like medical insurance. There’s a reason it’s cheaper: dental plans are just not meant to cover very much. According to Steffaney Prince, an office lead and insurance coordinator at a dental office located in Sacramento, “Dental insurance needs to be thought of more like an assistance plan, not a full, comprehensive plan.”

“Most plans still typically only cover $1,000 to $1,500 per year,” says Prince. “That goes very fast with two continuing care appointments (cleanings, exam, X-rays) and a few fillings. You’d better hope you don’t need a root canal, crown, or deep cleaning. And let’s not forget wisdom teeth: that’ll wipe out your max in one shot.”

Because of these quirks, for some people, investigating insurance alternatives or paying out-of-pocket might be a better idea. Essentially, if you have good dental health, you might actually save money by forgoing insurance for your twice yearly appointments (I’ll address that a little later). This was a huge surprise for me, and an option I definitely considered, since I’m young(ish) and take good(ish) care of my teeth.

However, stuff happens. If you want to be prepared for possible emergencies, or if your dental profile is one that will require more frequent future care (and here’s where my orthodontic history trips me up), then a more traditional dental insurance plan may be better suited for you, because it can help shield you from larger, one-time expenses.

Best Cheap Dental Insurance

At first, I looked at “traditional insurance” — we’re talking HMO or PPO plans. You’ll pay a monthly or annual premium and, subsequently, receive either free or heavily-discounted services. You may have a deductible and an annual maximum, and generally, to get the largest discounts, you’ll have to see a dentist in your insurance network. Also, keep in mind that pricing varies dramatically from state to state. A basic plan from United, for example — a good all-around provider, but one I eliminated for being too costly to classify as “cheap” — would run you $26.62/month in California or $67.77/month (plus a $50 deductible) in New Jersey.

Delta Dental — Best Overall

I looked closely at five major providers — Cigna, Delta, Humana, Starmount, and United — that offered affordable plans on a national scale. Delta Dental quickly bubbled to the surface. For one, Delta Dental has the largest network of any of the providers we looked at; in fact, almost 30 percent of Americans are covered under Delta, or one of its affiliates. Its reach is extensive, so it’s highly likely you’ll be able to easily find a dentist who accepts its insurance within easy distance from you. As a major player in the game, it’s also developed a solid reputation for financial strength, with an A from A.M. Best and an A+ from Standard and Poor.  

As for price, it can’t be beat. A bare-bones HMO plan, like its basic Care Dental Insurance plan, which I was quoted, is $123/year, plus a $15 enrollment fee for a single, 32-year-old female in New York. That breaks down to about $11.50/month for the first year, and less thereafter. That’s literally pennies a day.

Delta’s great prices and strong network propelled it to the top of our list.

Impressively, there’s also no deductible and no maximum on this particular plan, which is rare for dental insurance. That means your benefits kick in right away and you won’t be capped on coverage if you end up needing a lot of work in one year. Additionally, it advertises no waiting period for any service, including serious dental work. That gives it a major leg up on the competition, many of whom want you to wait at least 6 months for non-preventive treatments such as fillings. For example, Guardian Dental’s PPO Plus plan has a two year waiting period on orthodontic work.

Now, some drawbacks. You will have to choose a primary care dentist and stick with him or her to avoid additional charges. For example, if you receive emergency services at a dentist other than your primary care provider, insurance will only cover $100 before you start paying out of pocket. Additionally, unlike some of the other top choices I considered, such as Starmount Dental, Humana’s HMO, or United, you’re on the hook for more co-pays (with other, more expensive insurance, you’ll often get all preventative care covered in full). There’s a $5 co-pay per office visit, and $20 for a cleaning, although your annual x-rays and comprehensive exams are fully covered. Still, even with these co-pays, the low monthly cost makes it worth it. Costs for specific care procedures vary: I was quoted $37-$110 for a filling, which is a wide range that will depend on multiple factors, such as which state you live in (like all things, dental work will cost more in major cities) and where your filling is located (certain spots require more careful and time-consuming work). And don’t expect a low-cost plan like this to cover any major procedures in full: a major root canal might run you $600 — not free, but less than the $1000+ average you’d pay for a root canal in New York, for example.

Delta got an added boost for being a favorite of Prince for customer service and for paying claims in a timely manner. Its website is easy to navigate and quotes are super accessible online; my particular agent wasn’t the friendliest, and was slightly pushier than others I spoke with about getting me to sign up, but that’s not necessarily representative of the whole company.

Best Dental Savings Plans (and Why You Should Consider Them)

When researching cheap dental insurance, I kept coming across dental savings plans — something that was brand new to me. As it turns out, if affordability is your goal, these plans may actually be a better bet than traditional insurance. What you’re getting with a dental discount plan is access (via a monthly or annual fee) to a group of dentists who have agreed to offer their services at a lower cost. You pay the dentist the lower fee directly. These plans are great in terms of affordability, but (this is becoming a theme) you need to do your research. Some of these plans don’t cover specific procedures, or cover only the bare minimum in terms of care — the cheaper silver fillings, say, instead of the “tooth-colored” alternatives. That said, there’s no maximum, no deductible, and far less paperwork since the plans are more straightforward.

I found two national dental savings plans that were very similar in cost (whichever one is cheaper will depend on where you live) and had strong reviews across the board. Essentially, these two are tied: you’ll have to look at both to determine how the savings compare in your neighborhood.

Cigna Dental Savings

You’ll pay $96 a year for individual access to the Cigna Dental Savings program, which promises an average saving of 37 percent on dental services. Cigna also offers savings programs for families and seniors, at $144 and $156 respectively. These programs also come with bonuses like Identity Theft Protection, discounts on vision and hearing care, and prescriptions. It’s worth looking into these bonuses to see if they might save you more on other required medications or services.

Cigna boasts attractive options for families and seniors.

The Cigna website doesn’t provide quite as much information as Humana provides (minus one point), so I decided to call its customer service line to get a quote on particular services in my neighborhood. That said, I was connected to a friendly and knowledgeable Cigna representative with less than a minute of wait time (plus one point). For my ZIP code in Brooklyn, my representative found a dentist who charges $100 for a cleaning for patients paying out-of-pocket. With the savings plan, I’d only pay $54, which is a savings of $46. So, if you were to get two cleanings a year, you’d basically recoup the premium in savings. Similarly, she quoted me $185 for a filling out-of-pocket, versus $71 with the savings plan.

Cigna’s Dental Savings Plan is available in 37 states (look to another plan if you live in AK, CA, ID, IA, MT, ND, OK, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA or WY), and its dental network includes over 92,000 dentists.  

Humana

Basic individual access to Humana’s Dental Savings’ Plan is $8.99/month, plus a $15 enrollment fee for New York City residents. (I also looked at it for a few different ZIP codes, and found some variation. For example, in Florida you’d pay a dollar less: $7.99/month.) For New York, that averages out to $10.24/month, making it slightly more expensive than Cigna.

That said, your upfront costs might be higher, but your savings are seemingly stronger. For example, the average cost of a dental cleaning in Brooklyn is $67; with Humana’s Dental Savings Plus, you’d pay $25. A filling would be $81 with Dental Savings, versus the average of $118 out of pocket. Again, remember that these prices aren’t guaranteed: they will vary by region and by the dentist you choose. Also, NB: They do ask if you are a tobacco user in the online quote tool; it didn’t change the price of the quotes I was given, but will likely result in more costs later on.

Like Cigna, Humana’s Dental Savings Plan offers additional discounts on services like vision and hearing, and claim to provide an average savings of 37 percent on prescriptions at more than 62,000 pharmacies nationwide. Humana’s Dental Savings also provides discounts of up to 30 percent on some acupuncture and massage therapy treatments at participating providers, so, you know, get in line.

I found Humana’s website easier to navigate and more transparent in pricing than Cigna’s, and it provided more upfront information about costs; however, the sales rep I spoke with seemed genuinely tired, but hopefully you’ll have better luck.

How We Found the Best Cheap Dental Insurance

If you’ve had any run-ins with the insurance industry, you’ll note that all of the top picks are recognizable names. There aren’t many upstarts in the insurance industry, as it takes time to build up a trustworthy financial profile — the linchpin of the insurance industry. I made sure each top pick was strongly rated by Standard & Poor and/or A.M. Best, meaning each have a solid history of paying claims out accurately and in a timely manner. Each also offers a variety of plans (from HMO to Dental Savings) at a variety of pricing tiers. Truthfully, there’s not a ton of difference in the top-tier companies working in this space: most of their differences show up in the various price models they’re able to provide in different states. It’s often a difference of just a few dollars, so you’ll want to look at each of our picks to see who can give you the best deal.

Since the priority here is affordability, I cut any insurance provider that wasn’t able to offer a comprehensive plan for less than $20/month. If you have deeper pockets, there are more expensive plans that offer more flexibility and broader coverage over a variety of treatments, but those aren’t for us. I also didn’t want to recommend a top pick with limited access, so I sliced away any providers that didn’t operate in at least 40 states. Other guys that got the chop? Providers offering group plans that are only accessible through an employer, since those didn’t fit my needs, or the needs of anyone else who is self-employed.

I then reviewed elements of the different offerings, looking at sample quotes for different ZIP codes. If a provider didn’t have an easy, online quote tool, it got the boot. I spent a few afternoons playing whack-a-mole on automated phone services, often getting re-directed to dead air or full mailboxes. Starmount Dental, for example — which met all of the initial criteria — gave me three different phone numbers, all of which took me to automated voicemail boxes that asked me, politely, to please leave a message. Aaaaand cut. To spare you the frustration, all of the top picks have responsive, clear websites with accurate and straightforward quote tools, and provided acceptable to exceptional customer service over the phone.  

I also looked for plans that had minimal to no waiting period between when you purchase coverage and when it kicks in for preventative care, like cleanings or x-rays. My top picks also state they have no waiting periods for oral surgery. I cut any insurance company that was going to make you wait over a year for treatment; since this review is about getting the most bang for your buck, having to pay to wait around before your coverage goes into effect wasn’t going to fly.

OK, so do I REALLY need insurance?

Many Americans, if they’re covered at all, receive dental insurance through a group plan as part of their employment package. These plans should entitle you to two routine cleanings and exams each year — the recommended minimum from the American Dental Association — along with a set of x-rays. Additional procedures — think fillings, crowns, root canals — will cost you, with co-pays that depend on how robust your insurance package is. But if you aren’t receiving dental insurance through your employer, it may be that you aren’t bothering with dental care at all. And that, friends, is bad news.

But let’s say you’re in great dental health: you took advantage of comprehensive family coverage when you were a kid, have continued to get regular (twice yearly) cleanings, practice impeccable home-care (and yes, that means flossing), and are not a smoker or sugar addict. Basically, you’re a saint. Should insurance be on your radar?

Maybe not. Remember Steffaney Prince, the dental office manager — arguably someone who spends more time than most dealing directly with insurance providers? She says that since many people don’t understand what they’re getting when they purchase insurance, a better strategy for someone with great existing dental health could be to put the money they would spend on insurance (say, $20 a month) in a savings account to be used to pay for out-of-pocket preventative dental care.

I also used myself as a test case with Dr. Sally Cram, a periodontist (that’s a dentist who specializes in major gum disease and severe decay) in Washington, D.C.: as a mostly healthy 32-year-old female with solid preventative care (I floss, I promise!) and a history of twice-yearly cleanings. Might the upfront costs of two cleanings and checkups a year and periodic x-rays be less than what I would pay in annual premiums and co-pays?

“Actually, yes,” says Cram. I tried it out with one of our top picks for Dental Savings Plans: Humana charges $122.88/year and $25 for a cleaning, meaning my yearly cost for just the two cleanings plus the membership fee would be $172.88. That’s actually more than the $134 I’d pay out-of-pocket for two cleanings

So why would I pay more for the dental savings option? Well, once you start to add on procedures such as x-rays or the odd filling, that’s when you see the savings start to add up.

I’m certainly not going to say you don’t need insurance, but if overall savings are your goal, you should talk to your dentist before moving forward. If you have hallmarks of gum disease or have had dental problems in the past, you will absolutely want to look for insurance that is more comprehensive. Periodontal patients, for example, need to have cleanings every three months, and those costs will pile on quickly. Since I also have bridges and residual issues from my metal-mouthed history, I need to look for insurance with more provisions for extended care.

We used Dental Optimizer’s Dental Cost Calculator to find the estimated amounts for several common dental costs and compared them to our top picks.

Dental care is more important than you may think.

Most people don’t consider their dental health until a crisis occurs. Dr. Cram says: “I’m seeing more and more young patients because they simply don’t pay attention. They’ll come in and say, ‘Oh, well, my parents used to make me go to the dentist, but then I went to college and I haven’t been in a few years…’ and that’s where the problems really show up.” In other words: preventative care matters, and that means seeing your dentist regularly.

Other reasons why dental care is important:

• The cost of going without dental insurance can result in spending more on other health issues.
• Studies show that individuals without dental benefits are more likely to have extractions and dentures and less likely to have restorative care or receive treatment for gum disease.
• Those without dental benefits report higher cases of other illnesses, specifically cardiovascular and heart diseases (so, the fact that dreams about teeth are traditionally interpreted as dreams about death might not be that bananas).

Stressed? Quick, unclench (most plans don’t cover TMJ).

Get smart about your dental care (and insurance).

There are only two people who know what kind of insurance is best for you, and neither one is an insurance agent. Next time you visit your dentist (Now! Go now, you toilet mouth!), spend five extra minutes discussing your dental history and insurance options.

“It’s important to have what we call a ‘dental home’ — a dentist who knows your history and the problems you’ve had in the past that can help you predict your future dental needs,” says Cram. “For example, if you have a lot of old fillings, it’s more likely you’ll need crowns later, which could be expensive and would be reason to get more comprehensive insurance.”

You might want to be in and out of that chair as quickly as possible, but trust the good doctor. Your dentist has more experience than you do with the inside of your mouth, and he or she is best qualified to tell you what kind of care you might need in the future, and whether insurance could result in cost savings for you.

Once you have this conversation with your dentist, it’s up to you to do the research into your insurance plan. “Be a good consumer,” says Cram. “Know what is covered under your plan, whether you have a copay, what your deductible is. Many people don’t realize their coverage has a maximum. Ask these questions before purchasing insurance and certainly before going to the dentist.”

Finally, when getting ready to make your choice, be sure to check to see if your current dentist is in the network you’ve selected; or, if not, make sure the dentists who do participate are, a) easily accessible to you, and, b) decently reviewed on sites like RateMDs. If you’re going to be paying for insurance, take advantage of it by getting your frequent cleanings.

Let’s Face It — Dental Insurance is Confusing

The insurance industry is inherently overwhelming and mired in lingo and legalese. As our resident dentist, Dr. Cram, put it: “The average person doesn’t understand their dental insurance.” Luckily, you’re far from average. For reference, here’s a quick rundown of the four main types of dental insurance:

Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO): If you’re not picky about who’s sticking their fingers in your gullet, an HMO plan may fit the bill. Your insurance company will provide you with a list of dentists from which to choose a primary care provider. From there, you’re only on the hook for co-pays (the percentage of cost you pay directly to the provider) as long as you visit your in-network provider. HMOs carry the lowest premiums (fees) of dental insurance plans, and do not carry a deductible or annual maximum.

Dental Preferred Provider Organization (DPPO): With higher premiums comes higher flexibility. Like HMOs, PPO plans have a recommended network of dentists, for whose services you’ll pay less; however, you can see a dentist out-of-network and still get a portion of the fees for these visits reimbursed. You’ll pay for that flexibility with a deductible (the amount you pay out-of-pocket before insurance kicks in — $50 or $100 is average) and generally higher monthly amounts, as well as an annual maximum — usually between $1000 and $1500 (frustratingly, these numbers haven’t changed since the ’70s, not even to adjust for inflation). Because these plans are more expensive, I generally didn’t consider them as part of this review. They are, however, a solid choice if you can afford it, and have more care requirements. Still, remember that the standard of care you receive isn’t linked to your dental coverage: “People think that higher premiums mean they are going to receive better service,” says Cram, “but that isn’t always the case.”

Dental Indemnity Insurance: Also known as a fee-for-service plan, you’ll have access to a greatest variety of network dentists than with any other type of insurance. As with a PPO, you’ll have a co-payment that varies by the type of service (preventative versus cosmetic) and a deductible. The main difference between indemnity and PPO is price: you’ll pay more in premiums for the array of dentists you can visit, and more per visit in co-pays. As such, they aren’t included in this “cheap” review.

Dental Membership Plans Consider a membership plan with your local or preferred dentist. Many offices now offer these in-house memberships, which are free of waiting periods or maximums. A sample plan (the Marconi Dental Plan, available in California, for example) is $299/year (just under $25/month) and gets you two annual exams and cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatment, and 30 percent off further dental treatment. Most of these in-house plans waive co-pays and deductibles and don’t have an annual maximum, and since you’re dealing with all billing and reimbursement issues in-house, it’s likely you’ll spend less time trying to negotiate with terrorists (sorry, insurance agents). Talk to your current dentist to see if they offer something similar — and if not, you may want to shop around for a new dental office.

Did You Know?

All in the Family: The ADA recommends that children visit the dentist no later than their first birthday. Costs for kids can add up quickly, so you’ll want to make sure your kids have comprehensive dental coverage early. It may not spare your kid the shame of spending the period after lunch digging through the dumpster behind the cafeteria because she accidentally threw out her retainer, again (me, I was that kid), but it will ensure they form good dental habits early. Check out your options through the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides free or low-cost coverage for more than 7 million kids under age 19.

Blowing Smoke: Unsurprisingly, you’ll pay more for your coverage if you’re a smoker — and you’ll also need more care. Tobacco consumption – either through smoking or chewing – causes a myriad of oral health issues, from tooth staining to gum lesions to esophageal cancer. Not like you need another reason not to smoke, but non-smokers will pay less for dental care over the course of their (longer) lives.

Looking for Dental Care on the (Very) Cheap?

Insurance and dental savings plans aren’t the only options for inexpensive dental care. Maybe you’re a student who moves frequently, don’t have the resources to research insurance options, or are experiencing a dental emergency and don’t have a primary dentist. If so, here are some other ways to obtain cheap dental treatment.

• State Coverage. Certain states have assistance programs to assist in dental care for lower income families. Check this site to see if you’re eligible.
• The Affordable Care Act. In 2014, the Affordable Care Act gave 1.1 million Americans dental benefits through health insurance marketplaces. This is especially worth checking out for families: 35.7 percent of medical plans now have provisions for pediatric or family dental benefits.
• Local Dental School. In grad school, I frequented the Aveda hair school for cuts at $20 a pop, which was great until they dyed my hair purple. That said, my mom swears by the dental care she used to get at the dental school at her university. If you’re feeling brave, you can usually get discounted dental procedures at a school clinic.
• Oral Health America. If you’re over 60 (or caring for an older adult), check out ToothWisdom.org for low-cost dental care options for seniors.

The Bottom Line

Dental care should be a priority, and not in the “set it and forget it” kind of way. Your teeth need you, but they may not need traditional dental insurance. Talk to your dentist and figure out what kind of care or issues you should expect in years to come, and attack your insurance accordingly. If your care needs are likely to be minimal, and you have enough savings to cover the cost of a pricier procedure in case of emergency, you may be better off going it alone — as long as you are still able to afford your annual preventative care. If you’ve neglected your teeth or are likely to need a lot of care in the future, look into insurance, starting with our Best Overall pick, Delta Dental. Concerned about price? See if a dental savings plan, including those offered by Cigna Dental Savings and Humana Dental Savings Plus might best meet your needs. Either way, comprehensive preventative care matters, and it’s not as far out of reach as you might think.

The post The Best Cheap Dental Insurance appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Source The Simple Dollar The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/1llUyqd