Is Full Coverage Dental Insurance Really Full Coverage?
Full coverage dental insurance is one of those insurance products that has had a difficult time keeping up with the needs of its policy holders. Since its popularity began several decades ago, the average coverage on dental insurance has remained relatively flat compared to the increasing costs of dental work. As most insurance products have evolved over time, full coverage dental insurance seems to still be short on performance. The name full coverage dental insurance may actually be a bit of a misnomer as well, it is hard to label something that only provides limited coverage "full coverage."
The Typical Full Coverage Dental Insurance Plans
The typical full coverage dental insurance plans are not much different than your standard dental plan. In the most basic of terms, the dental plan is simply a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay a predetermined premium amount each month, and the insurance company agrees to help you cover some of your dental expenses.
Similar to most other insurance, the premium payments that you pay each month are dependent upon the degree of coverage and deductible amount. The more you pay, the more the insurance company is willing to pay.
As we stated before, the full coverage dental insurance is not actually full coverage. More than almost any other insurance type, dental insurance has a large list of exclusions that they are unwilling to cover.
The insurance company is generally willing to pay at least a portion of the cost of continued dental health. Periodic cleanings, checkups, and routine same visit procedures are typically covered by the plan.
Where the insurance company really begins to limit their coverage is when you get into the more specialty areas. The challenging thing for individuals is that these are generally the more expensive procedures, and for which coverage is needed the most.
Be very careful that your insurance covers the procedure that you are having done. Dental insurance companies are notorious for rejecting a claim that you thought you were covered for because the dentist chooses to use a different substance during the procedure. For instance, if the dentist suggests you get a white cap rather than the standard silver one, make sure that you are covered. The color difference may be enough for the insurance company to reject the claim altogether.
Insurance companies have made it clear that under most circumstance they will not pay for what they consider to be cosmetic dental work. So unbeknownst to you when you were choosing the color, you were actually choosing whether the insurance company would cover it or not.
Again, check with your insurance company before you get any work done at the dentist's office. Full coverage dental insurance is not actually full coverage.
Individual Full Coverage Dental Insurance vs. Group Dental Insurance
The main group of people fortunate to even have dental insurance are those that are working for large corporations. This is generally the only environment in which the cost of dental insurance is justified. Large corporations are able to get the best rates on insurance plans, and as such are one of the few places that can actually offer close to a "full coverage" plan.
If you do not work for a large corporation there are other options available, you will just have to pay for them. Private dental insurance is offered as an alternative to group dental insurance. Aside from paying a higher premium, you will likely have not the same full dental insurance coverage as a group plan. All in all, it is hard to make an argument for individual vs group coverage. If your company offers group coverage, take it.
Summary Of Full Coverage Dental Insurance
Despite its problems and misleading name, full coverage dental insurance provides assistance to those needed dental work done. Once you balance the cost of the insurance with what the insurance is willing to cover, you may find that the dental insurance is worth the headache. Full coverage dental insurance still has a long way to progress, we can only hope in the coming years that it catches up with the times.
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