Compare Dental Insurance Plans

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Here are a few things to consider when comparing a dental insurance plans.Find out how the insurance company responds to routine preventive visits. Most dental insurance plans will pay 100% for preventive maintenance. Services teeth cleaning and fluoride treatments help to prevent more serious and costly dental problems such as cavities and root canals.

Look at the insurance provider's UCR chart
UCR, which stands for usual, customary and reasonable payment reimbursement varies by dental insurance plan. Before you sign up with the insurance company, look to see what they pay for various procedures and compare them to what dentists charge in your area. Unfortunately, the dentist charge and insurance company reimbursement never match, however, knowing the schedule of reimbursement beforehand can help you when deciding which dentist to use.

Review the annual policy limit
Many dental insurance plans have an annual limit over which they will not pay. If you're expecting to undergo major dental work, you might want to talk to your dentist to schedule it later in the year so that you can use both the current year's limit and the next year's limit to minimize out-of-pocket expenses.

Check to see if the dental plan has a lifetime benefit limit cap
Lifetime limit caps outline the maximum the insurance company will pay for a particular procedure for the life of the policy. Many dental insurance companies don't like paying for braces. As a result, they put a lifetime cap on their policies for orthodontic work such as getting braces. Be aware of the cap before you take your child to the orthodontist.

Review the deductibles and co-pays
Find out if the deductible applies on a per family basis or per individual basis. Depending on how many people in your family and how much work needs to be done, the difference between the two can be substantial.