Full Coverage Dental InsuranceDoes full mean full?Full coverage dental insurance may be a thing of the past and possibly should now be called supplemental dental coverage.
Not too many years ago, all you really needed was good dental insurance and you were likely to get it from your employer. Not so anymore. Benefits are dwindling and dental costs are rising, leaving consumers caught in the middle. Insurance companies claim dentists charge too much while dentists say your insurance plan is to blame for your partially covered dental costs.
How did full coverage dental shrink?
Dentistry has changed for the better in the following ares:
Technology - dental innovations including digital x-rays, computer designed crowns, dental implants and laser dental treatment have improved your dental care. Infection control - Dental staff go to great lengths and dentists incure increased expenses to ensure infection control. Research and prevention - dental researchers continue to improve the materials and techniques that keep you healthy. Prevention is and always has been the focus. All of these changes have made dentistry safer and better but also, more expensive.
Has your full coverage dental insurance kept up? Insurance providers have more control of dental fees - PPO dental plans and DHMOs have introduced the idea of fees being determined by the insurance provider. While this idea has worked well for many dentists, clients, and insurance providers, it has gone too far in some cases. Dentists are so poorly paid for their work by some plans that they have to see too many patients and cut costs on supplies to make a living. Leaving some consumers with doubt in both their dental care professionals and their insurance providers. In addition, determining dental fees, most dental insurance providers have only slightly increase your yearly maximum benefit. The amount your insurance plan will pay each year has increased, but not enough to keep up with rising dental costs and normal cost of living increases.
Is dental insurance still a good idea?
Yes! Insurance coverage of any kind will help soften the blow of major dental bills for things like crowns, root canals, wisdom teeth removal, and orthodontic treatment and keep you motivated to get
preventative care.
Just don't count on your dental insurance to cover the entire bill.
Most importantly, don't rule out dental treatment just because it is not covered or is only partially covered by your dental plan. You could be missing out on the latest and greatest
dental innovations.
Additional articles on dental insurance:
Return from full coverage dental insurance to dental insurance for individuals
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