Should I Buy a Discount Dental Plan?
Dental Discount Plans have become increasing popular. You will see ads for them everywhere. But there are differences between the plans and you need to understand these differences before you buy one for yourself and your family.
The first and most important thing to know is that a dental plan is not dental insurance. A dental plan is a fee-for-service plan. You will pay for the services you receive from a dentist. However, you will pay a discounted fee for that service. You may not go to any dentist. In order to get the fee advertised, you will have to go to the dentists listed on the network of the plan you buy. Do not go to any dentist not on the list because as a non-participating provider they are not obligated to honor the discount fee and will charge you their regular fee for the service provided.
Just because it's not insurance doesn't mean it's not a good option. For many people it is a much better option than traditional dental insurance. What are the advantages of a dental plan over dental insurance? There actually are many and the first and most important is price. On average dental insurance will cost about per person per month. A family of 4 may pay as much as 0 per month. If part of that premium is paid by an employer, this may be worth it. But for individuals who do not have dental insurance through an employee, this cost may be prohibitive.
Dental plans charge consumers a membership fee which allows the consumer to get services from a participating dentist at significantly discounted rates. What do I mean by a participating provider? When you purchase a membership in a dental plan, you will get two things. First, a list of services showing the usual rate charged for this service and the rate a participating dentist will charge members of this plan. The discounts can be significant but be wary of plans that offer discounts that are too good. More about that in a moment.
The second list you will get is a list of dentists who are part of the plan network. These dentists are the participating providers. They have agreed to charge the members of a specific plan the amount listed on the fee schedule. When you visit a participating dentist be sure that you have a copy of the fee schedule that was listed by the plan when you purchased your membership. That will insure that you are charged the correct amount for the service provided.
The cost of a membership will vary by plan, location and the number of dentists in the network. However, the cost of a membership is significantly less than the cost of traditional dental insurance. For instance, membership in a good discount dental plan may cost an individual as little as 5 a year and a family of 4 as little as 0 a year to join. What is a good discount dental plan and how can you choose correctly?
It is very important to compare all the plans available in your area. Use a site like Prestige Dental Planners to locate the dental plans in your area and compare the benefits offered by each company. By entering a zip code, you will be shown all the plans in your area. Look carefully at the benefits and fee schedules offered. Look very closely at the list of participating dentists. It will not do you any good to buy a membership in a plan that has only a few dentists or only has dentists who are located many miles from your home.
Not all plans are offered in all areas. It is important to enter your zip code and then look at the available plans. Look at the fee schedule. Compare all of them. Some plans have been known to inflate the cost of a service to make it seem like the discount is better than it is. Check several fee schedules to get a true picture of what dental services in your area really cost.
The plan will tell you if it is a nationwide or regional plan. Think about how you will use the plan before you make a selection. A family that has children who are away at school may need a nationwide plan with participating dentists in many different locations.
One thing that has helped the reliability of dental plans in recent years is the participation of carriers who in the past only wrote traditional dental insurance. Aetna is a leader in this area, as it now offers several different dental plans, as well as continuing to offer traditional dental insurance to both individuals and employers. There may be an advantage to going with a well known carrier who offers both dental insurance and dental plans. These carriers already have networks of participating providers in their insurance networks. You may find that the number of participating dentists in their networks is very large. You may even find your own dentist is a participant. But don't assume anything. Even if you recognize the name of the carrier, do your comparison of the plans in your area.
In addition to price, dental plans have other advantages over dental insurance. There are no waiting periods. Dental insurance, especially for what are called major services, require you to be on the plan for a specific number of months before they will pay a benefit. A crown, for instance, will not be paid for under a dental insurance plan until you have been on the insurance for 12 months. With a dental plan, you can buy a crown at the discounted rate immediately.
There is no annual maximum with a dental plan as there is with dental insurance. Your benefits will not be limited. As long as you can afford the fee listed on the schedule, you can use the services as often as needed.
Certain service like cosmetic dentistry are never available as part of a dental insurance plan. Some of the dental plans will offer services such as cosmetic procedures at a discounted rate.
Finally, a word about orthodontia. Braces, whether for children or adults, are rarely covered under dental insurance unless the plan is offered through an employer with more than 10 employees. Even if orthodontia is offered, it may be subject to the annual maximum for the plan. There is now a dental plan which if exclusively a nationwide orthodontic discount plan. This plan offers discounts of 15% to 20% but only from the orthodontists participating in their network. The plan also requires an additional yearly membership. However, considering the price of braces and other orthodontic appliances, it may be worth the fee. It may even be worth your while to join this plan if you have dental insurance with a low annual maximum or one that does not cover orthodontia. Make sure you can find an orthodontist in your area that you like and trust before committing to another plan.
Dental plans have come a long way since they were first introduced as discount cards. They are affordable and for the right consumers they can provide a significant savings and insure that you and your family members get the regular dental treatments you should have to protect your health and well being.
China’s military in comparison to the US…..thoughts?
If you don’t want to read all this then check out the Fact at the bottom. Thanks!
Lets start this off by informing everyone of the benifits of actually serving their country.
1. Pride
2. Service
3. Teamwork
4. Leadership skills
5. Resume builder
6. Money
7. College Benefits
8. Discounts
9. Travel (voluntary and involuntary)
10. Opportunity
11. Career choices
12. Opportunity for advancement
13. No glass ceiling
14. It is what you make it
15. $20,000 sign on bonus
16. $10,000 commissioning bonuses
17. $15,000 reenlistment bonuses
18. Lifelong friendships
19. Retirement plan (nearly unbeatable)
20. Total Health, Dental, Life Insurance
21. Pay is actually comparable if not better in Military Life once you add in the Housing Allowance (BAH) Subsistance Allowance, Clothing Allowance, Hazard Duty Pay (while deployed), Family Seperation (while deployed), and more. A 1LT (officer) with approximately 4 years in the service can expect to make roughly $60,000 + $10,000 worth of insurances = $70,000. And about $40,000 + $10,000 (insurance) for enlisted with approximately the same time in.
22. Another big benefit that many overlook is the health care. If you have 1 dependent, you have 12. Meaning you get the same coverage for all 12 children as you would if you only have 1. There is no additional charges, they are just simply covered.
If anyone has any questions about joining the military or would like further information feel free to email me at bryansrebates@yahoo.com. I’d be more than happy to talk about the opportunities that the Military has to offer more specifically the Army National Guard – where you can have your civilian career and drill one weekend a month 2 weeks a year as a Citizen/Soldier.
And to all you Women out there who don’t think you’ve got what it takes to join the military – you are dead wrong. Getting through basic training isn’t easy, but its certainly possible. We have over 600,000 Soldiers in the Army National Guard and Reserves and over 500,000 in the Army. All of these people made it, and so can you.
Just another quick fact. Our active duty and reserve forces are dwarfed by that of China’s who has an Active Duty force of more than 10 million.
It’s a quality vs. quantity issue
Granted, China has a large army, and is acquiring some good equipment, but:
-USA has a large army as well, about…1 mil? i think?
-USA has much better weaponry, with each soldier being equipped with automatic weapons, sidearms, body armor, etc-not so in china…heck, we have a tank capable of 80mph! not so in China!
-each USA soldier has to kill ten Chinese troops to break even…how about a single cluster bomb on a chinese tank/troop column?
so, as long as we didn’t invade, we could easily claim air superiority, and then pound them from the air and land
Confusion about dental insurance?
I just started working but they don’t offer dental insurance. I found online (through Progressive) a dental insurance comparison site. I found one that I really thought fit me. I’m going to need oral surgery in the near future and this plan, or so I thought, fit me well.
The whole co-insurance thing confuses me. I thought I knew what it meant but their little online “help” chat made my mind boggle. Here is what the website says:
Oral Surgery90% Coinsurance after deductible through Jan. 1 following the effective date, 75% Coinsurance after deductible for the next 12 months, 50% Coinsurance after deductible thereafter.
6-month elimination period
So I take that as, if I have a bill of $1000, I would only pay $100. But the online chat told me 90% is what I pay. Is that right? Why would I want to pay that much a month and still have to fork out 90%. Totally confused here! Any insight?
healthplans.bebto.com – my family have this health insurance. It is affordable and has good coverage for dental issues.
Anyone know of an affordable individual health/dental insurance plan for Brooklyn, NY?
I no longer have school insurance and my work does not offer insurance. I am looking for an affordable health/dental insurance plan in Brooklyn, New York. Is dental included in medical insurance or is that separate? I don’t want to spend $600-$1000 on a premium for an HMO, but would rather spend a few hundred a month while getting a decent amount of benefits. Also, does anyone know of a comparison chart online regarding details of insurance providers including premiums and benefits. All I can find are complaint comparison charts for insurance providers. Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
InsureMe Offers Tips for Online Health Insurance Shopping
Insurance shopping service provides tips for finding the right insurance.
Denver, CO (PRWEB via PRWeb) June 21, 2006 –With the nation’s uninsured at an estimated 45 million adults, InsureMe, the leading online insurance shopping service, is offering tips for using the Web to find health insurance that’s both affordable and provides sufficient coverage.
Before applying for health insurance quotes, InsureMe recommends looking into the types of health plans that are available, as well as identifying the coverages that the consumer needs from a policy, such as coverage for pre-existing or chronic conditions.
“Knowing what you need from the outset will help you find the right policy—and quicken the insurance shopping process,” says InsureMe president and former insurance agent, Tim McTavish.
Shoppers can find the health insurance information they need by visiting the InsureMe Insurance Resource Center, which contains health insurance information as it pertains to each state.
Comparing multiple policies and plan prices is also central to finding the right insurance; online insurance shopping services like InsureMe.com now allow consumers to apply online and receive free health insurance quotes from local insurance agents. And while price is foremost on the minds of many shoppers, the company also encourages people to pay careful attention to plan coverages before selecting a policy.
Health insurance is best found by investing time, educating yourself and comparison shopping. InsureMe http://www.insureme.com/landing.aspx?Refby=614504&Type=health, NetQuote & other sites are designed to be an invaluable resource for insurance shoppers like you in this process. Fill out our easy form, and you can get up to five insurance quotes from insurance agents who can help you make the best decision regarding your insurance. Once again, shop around, get multiple quotes, and learn all you can about a policy before you buy health insurance.
Ron @ InsureMe