What is better for Me and My Family…Dental Insurance or a Discount Dental Plan?

By:  Dennis Bloom – Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman – AmeriPlan Corporation

This is a very frequently asked question since many families do not have any form of dental expense coverage.  They may or may not have Health Insurance, but if they do have individual or group health insurance, they may not have any form of coverage to take care of dental expenses.  If they have dental insurance with their health insurance plans, the coverage may not be very good and the out-of-pocket expenses for the family may be very high.  Most dental insurance plans have high premiums, high deductibles, high co-pays and a fairly low limit on what the policy will pay.

On the other hand, a discount dental plan will have a very low monthly membership fee that will generally include the entire family.  There will not be any deductibles or co-pays and there will not be any limits on benefits.  These plans have no age limits, no pre-existing condition limitations, no claim forms to file and no waiting periods in order to use the benefits. The plan does not pay any claims and the financial arrangements are between the member and one of the plan’s network providers.  The member receives a substantial discount for services provided, in exchange the member pays at the time the services are rendered.

Many of the available Discount Dental Plans on the market today are bundled with an array of other healthcare services that are also offered to members at discounts up to 80%.  These benefit bundles may include one or more of the following:

• Prescription Drugs – up to 80% discount
• Vision Care – up to 65% discount
• Chiropractic Care – up to 50% discount
• Ancillary Medical Services
  • Imaging – Up to 60% discount on C.A.T Scan, MRI, xRay, Ultra Sound and more.
  • Laboratory – full range of blood tests and other lab work at discounts up to 70%.
  • Medical Supplies – crutches, wheel chairs, home care supplies, hearing aids and more
• TeleMedicine – have access to a visit with a licensed Doctor 24/7/365 from your Computer or Smart Device by Skype, Zoom or similar applications. Informational or Diagnostic Consults and Prescriptions, when appropriate, are available.  Save Time and Save Money with the latest in Medical Services.
• Hospital Bill negotiation – save significant sums of money from a hospital bill with this benefit

The more of these benefits your plan has, the better the plan is for saving you money.  You may also want to look for a plan that covers your entire household not just your immediate family.

A comprehensive Discount Plan may run from as little as $40.00 per month to as much as $120.00 per month depending on how many benefits are in the plan.  A Dental Plan alone, may run from about $15.00 per month.  You want a plan with large networks and specialists included.

When checking out a Plan for you and your household, look at how long the Plan has been in business and if they have a Better Business Bureau rating and what it is.  Over the years, millions of discount plan members have saved many millions of dollars.  It really works!