So, you've heard that comparing individual dental plans is the best way to shop for dental coverage, huh? But do you know what you should be looking for? Looking at a variety of different dental plans doesn't do you any good if you don't know how to separate a good policy from a bad one.
A good dental individual plan will come with these 3 things:
1. A big list of providers
Virtually every dental plan out there will come with a list of dentists that you can go to. In many cases, if you don't choose a dentist on the list, your insurance company will not pay your bills. That's why it's so important to get a dental individual plan that comes with a big list of providers. Otherwise, you may be stuck going to a dentist you don't like - or one that's far away from your home or office.
Plus, if you ever wind up with a dental emergency, you may not be able to get in to see your regular dentist. You'll need plenty of others to choose from so that you can get fast treatment that's covered by your insurance policy.
2. The opportunity to add different kinds of coverage
A good dental plan will also make it easy for you to get a vision plan. Since many of the health insurance policies out there do not include either a dental or vision plan, the good insurance companies will offer them as a package deal.
If you're looking at individual dental plans that don't come with an option to add a vision plan, you're not necessarily dealing with a bad plan or a bad company; you're simply not getting all of the conveniences that you could be.
3. Coverage for routine procedures
A big reason why people get a dental individual plan is so that they don't have to foot the bill for all of their routine cleanings and x-rays. After all, walking into a dentist's office and getting routine work done can easily cost you a few hundred dollars! Considering you should be going to the dentist at least once or twice a year, that's a lot of money to be spending.