Dental plans can cover everything from preventative care to restorative dental services. When searching for dental insurance, it is important to consider the type of care you are likely to require and whether you want the flexibility to visit a dentist of your choice rather than stay within a network. Most dental insurance plans have a 12-month waiting period for ‘Major’ services such as Root Canals and Crowns; although there are some that provide coverage for these services from day one.
Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO): These plans are usually less expensive than Dental PPOs and you will have to see a dentist within a specified network. Typically, there is no annual deductible, and you will pay a set fee for non-preventative services such as extractions, root canals, and crowns.
Dental Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): These plans allow dental services in/out of network from a provider of your choice anywhere in the US. Most of these plans will offer preventative services such as cleanings and x-rays covered at 100% then basic services such as deep cleanings, fillings, simple extractions etc. covered at 80% and then major services such as root canals & crowns are covered at 50%.
Other plans are available, such as Dental Indemnity and Dental Discount Programs, which offer varying degrees of flexibility and coverage at specified rates or reimbursement.
Vision plans aid with preventative eye care costs and regular expenses such as prescription glasses.
There are many vision insurance plans on the market, so it is important to have a clear idea of what coverage you desire. Most individuals who have existing vision issues will look for a plan that will help cover regular eye exams and other costs associated with prescription glasses and/or contact lenses.
Some plans will offer low annual monthly premiums, they can have limited coverage and may require higher out of pocket costs.
It is possible to combine vision insurance with dental insurance in one plan giving you access to a range of services for one annual premium.
There are many benefits one can receive by having vision insurance: