Dental Insurance
Coverage that pays for preventive, basic, and major dental care, typically under a 100-80-50 cost sharing structure with a low annual maximum.
Overview
Most plans cover cleanings and exams at or near 100 percent, fillings and other basic procedures at around 80 percent, and crowns, bridges, and dentures at around 50 percent, often after waiting periods for major work. Unlike health insurance, dental plans impose an annual benefit maximum, commonly in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 dollars, a level that has barely moved in decades despite rising treatment costs, so the product behaves more like prepaid maintenance than catastrophe protection. Dental HMOs restrict members to a network for lower premiums, while PPO plans allow wider choice. Orthodontic coverage is usually limited to children with a lifetime cap. Traditional Medicare does not cover routine dental care.
Related Topics
Health Maintenance Organization
Members choose a primary doctor who manages care and writes referrals to specialists, and care outside the network is generally no...
Preferred Provider Organization
Members can see specialists without referrals, the main convenience over HMOs. In network care might be covered at 80 or 90 percen...
High Deductible Health Plans
Until the deductible is met members pay the full negotiated price for most care, though preventive services are exempt from the th...
Health Savings Accounts
Contributions are deductible, growth is untaxed, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax free, a combination no oth...