Making the Most of Dental Insurance Rates and Quotes

Get into the details on dental plan coverage
By Shalleen Mayes
 
Dental insurance coverage can be a luxury perk for employees, especially with many companies cutting back on their group health care offerings. But dental health is just as important as major medical care, as poor dental hygiene can be a factor in health problems such as heart disease. To keep a healthy workforce, research options to offer dental plan coverage to your employees and their families.

Part of the research process involves looking at dental insurance rates and quotes. The rate you eventually pay will depend on several factors, including the number of employees to be insured, types of services covered and how much you want the employees to contribute. Compared to health insurance coverage, dental coverage is a predictable risk for insurance companies, so rates tend to be more stable over time.

To evaluate the many different plan options out there, consider a few important steps:

1. Compare apples to apples with dental insurance plan quotes. There are several different types of plan structures out there.

2. Know what the services the average dental insurance rates include, as well as what's not included.

3. Think about consulting a local agent for dental insurance rates.

Decipher the different types of dental plan coverage

There are several different types of dental plans you can offer, including indemnity plans, where the company establishes a "pot" for dental expenses, and several types of managed care organizations. Your best bet to manage costs may be a dental health maintenance organization (DHMO), which offers a network of dentists that agree upon a fixed rate per patient.
Try: Gaebler discusses dental costs as a percentage of total health care costs and the value of offering dental care to your employees. Buyer Zone explains in more detail the different dental plan options for businesses.

Dig into the details when comparing dental plan rates

When making the most of dental insurance rates and quotes, it's important to know for what items the average plan generally pays -- and what's not covered. Insurers typically cover 100% of preventive care such as cleanings and check-ups, 80% of basic dental work such as fillings and 50% of oral surgery costs.
Try: Your Dentistry Guide gives the consumer tips on comparing a dental rate quote. Humana Dental offers a product comparison to show what they cover under each of their dental plans.

Get a quote on a dental insurance rate from online and local sources

While you can find a dental insurance online quote, local insurance agents may have access to information on dental plans that you don't have. Contacting your local dentist to see which plans are best is also a good route to securing dental insurance quotes.
Try: Get a quick dental insurance quote for your business from E-Health Insurance. Follow the link from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to locate dental plans offered by your state.

• When asking about dental insurance coverage, pay attention to the UCR (usual, customary, and reasonable) standard to dental charges, which means the consumer pays the difference for excessive costs.