Looking For Low Cost Dental Coverage

By Sally Delacruz


Full-time employees of companies are given the chance to get health coverage, including dental, usually at a reasonable cost. Freelancers, part-time employees and contractors generally don't have this privilege. That doesn't meant that they can't get low cost dental coverage for themselves. It just means they will have to know a few things to find the best and most affordable plan for them.

Depending on your life situation, you may need a individual or a family plan, which are the two main types of coverage. Anyone who is single and has no dependents will go for an individual plan. If you have children, even if you don't have a spouse, a family plan is appropriate for you. If you are currently single but later have a child, you should be able to easily upgrade to a family plan, though your monthly premium will go up as well.

Though family and individual plans cover the two basic types of coverage, each plan offered by various companies is very different from each other. Some are very basic and only cover some dental work or checkups, while others are much more complete plans that cover everything. Based on your dental health, you will have to choose which one you want.

During your research into various plans, two important things to consider are deductibles and limits. Deductibles are are the amount you must pay for your dental work before the insurance policy takes over to pay the rest or most of the rest. If it is high, like say $1000 dollars, then you may not be able to afford to use the plan. Pay a higher premium each month, and you will probably get a much lower deductible, which will balance out the higher monthly fee. The lower your monthly premium, the more likely you are to have a high deductible.

Limits are yearly and lifetime maximums that the insurance company will pay. For example, the plan may only pay $50,000 a year, which means if you need procedures beyond that amount in a given year, you may have to either pay out of pocket or wait till the next year when a fresh plan kicks in. Always check the limits and make sure they are agreeable to you.

Not all coverage includes surgeries and orthodontics, so be sure to read the fine print. This is especially true if you have kids, because many kids may need orthodontia like braces in order to straighten out their teeth. Surgeries, even minor ones like removal of wisdom teeth, can be quite expensive when paid out of pocket, so be sure you are covered.

Another important point to consider is the coverage for preventative care. Your policy should let you have at least yearly checkups, and yearly teeth cleanings as well. These help you avoid bigger dental problems down the line, so most insurers include them in each policy to save money. This is a win-win situation for you and the insurer, so take advantage of these each year.

No matter what your age or family situation, finding an affordable dental plan is easy. Set a budget, do some shopping, and always read the fine print to see what is covered so there are no surprises later. This will save you time and money later on down the line, and ensure good dental health.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment