Insurance companies are constantly changing. We work with most PPO companies. If your insurance company isn’t on the list, please ask and we can check on the eligibility. In order of most popular insurance carriers, our patients have:
- Metlife
- Delta Dental Insurance (Texas)
- Cigna
- United Healthcare
- Guardian
- Blue Shield Blue Cross
- Aetna
There are many others not listed. So please ask us! Which one is the best? That really depends on your plan. If you buy it from your employer, you may have a discount or a portion of it paid by your employer. The sad truth is that most people do not get their money’s worth. That’s how insurance companies make a profit! If everyone got their money’s worth, then the insurance company would be NEGATIVE. So the business strategy relies on people not going to the dentist.
I always tell patients to check their own plan, along with the frequency limitations, allowances, deductibles, and so on. Is it confusing? Yes! The insurance companies purposely do that. They often delay claim processing times and sometimes deny your claim to prevent paying. They aren’t “evil”, they are just doing their jobs. After all, it’s all business, and a business is not a charity.
Here’s a few rules of thumb I tell my patients:
- If you know you NEED treatment: Buy a high tier plan with high coverages, limits. Yes, it may cost more upfront, but it will save you money IF you go get the treatment.
- If you haven’t had a filling in a long time (3+ years) and brush/floss regularly, buy the standard plan from your employer. If your employer doesn’t offer dental coverage, then you can even forgo dental insurance all together.
Why forgo dental insurance in some cases? Well for example:
Dental insurance can cost ~$500-600 a year. If you pay cash, the price of 2x exam/cleanings is roughly about the same. If you purchased a dental plan through a broker, many times, their coverages are low. Even though they say 100%, it’s based on a UCR (usual, customary, and reasonable) charge. However, that is based on the insurance carrier. From my experience, it might only be 40-50%. So you paid for the plan ~$500, then get balance billing from the dental office because the insurance plan didn’t cover it all. Maybe another bill of ~$300, so you end up paying MORE! This sounds ridiculous, but that’s how insurance companies prevent losing money. Now, before you ditch your dental insurance, talk with your dentist to evaluate your caries risk.