Discount Dental Benefits

Discount dental plans can save you and your family money no doubt about it.

For individuals or families who are either uninsured or not covered for a specific dental benefit i.e. vision care, chiropractic care or discounted prescriptions, a discount plan can be a great way to save money and help reduce the  rising health care costs in this country.

You should know that discount plans are NOT the same as a standard “insurance plan.” They differ because most of them have no exclusions and you can start saving money immediately.

Doctors and dentists LOVE discount plans because they get their money directly from the customer and they don’t have to file any insurance paperwork.

MY personal experience with a discount dental plan – I have been using Ameriplan since 2000 for my dental care.    I have great traditional health insurance, but the dental coverage is really bad and doesn’t pay for much, so I joined Ameriplan to save additional money.  I save about $350 on crowns and root canals, I saved $1,000 on a bridge, and I get my teeth cleaned every 6 months for $42.  Ameriplan is this country’s largest discount dental provider because they have the largest network of providers.

Careington Dental Plan is another choice because they have different provider  networks.

Over 28 million people in this country use a discount plan of some kind, so it’s a good alternative.

Discount dental benefit plans offer:

• Access to fairly large savings on health/dental care services i.e. doctors, hospitals, prescription drugs, vision and dental care.
• Savings on your health care & dental care needs. If you are an individual or a family without insurance of any kind, these kind of “discount” plans can protect you from a $50,000 hospital bill for a 3 days stay at a hospital.  Sure, you’ll have out-of-pocket expenses, but it’ll be a couple of thousand dollars instead of tens of thousands of dollars.
• You also have the convenience of being able to use your discount plan at some of the nation’s largest retailers, pharmacy’s and optical stores such as Pearle, LensCrafters, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.
• Affordable monthly costs – monthly fees to be a member of discount plans ( join the network) have remained steady, despite rising health care costs of traditional insurance.

In researching whether or not a “discount benefit plan” is the correct choice for you and your family, the tips below will help decide:

1. Discount plans are different – but not by much.  Shop around to find a plan that provides the services that best fit your needs at a reasonable price.
2. Choose a plan that has clear and understandable disclosures for things such as minimum length of commitment, etc.
3. Select a discount plan that provides a phone number and  a web site where you can get more information about the plan’s benefits and the health care provider network that participate in it.

Be sure and READ the company’s refund policy.  The company should offer customers a 30-day refund policy for their membership fee.

Be certain that the plan’s disclosure clearly states that the discount plan is not   insurance.”  Disclosures are usually found at the bottom of the page on the home page, or a link to the disclosure in the very least.

If you currently have a health insurance plan, be sure the discount plan’s benefits do not duplicate your existing insurance policy or  other health benefits offered.

Read all materials carefully – Almost ALL plans require a 30 day WRITTEN request to cancel your membership.  You can’t just call someone and have your membership canceled!