What is the right California dental plan for me?
When choosing a California dental insurance plan, you want to take the following things into consideration. Do you need dental care and services right away? Are you only buying a plan to cover your preventative care? Do you plan on needing orthodontics services? Would you like to keep your current dentist?
These are all questions you should be familiar with before purchasing a dental plan in California.
If you are an individual that needs dental care right away then take a look at an HMO dental plan. They usually have no waiting periods or benefit maximums. You can receive benefits for major services such as oral surgery and orthodontics as soon as the plan is in effect and not have to worry about the benefits reaching a maximum. If you apply for a PPO dental plan you would be assessed a waiting period ranging anywhere from 6 months to two years for basic, major and orthodontic services. PPO dental plans do however have benefit maximums typically in the range of $500 – $2000 per calendar year.
Preventative Care
Preventive care is something that can prevent you from having the basic and major services if you stay on top of it. Most PPO or HMO dental plans will provide you with two free cleanings per year as long as you use an in network provider. Preventive health plays an important role in your overall health. Studies show that gum disease is linked to heart disease. Make sure to take advantage of your two cleanings per year to promote your overall health.
The Dental Blue 100 Basic goes for around $20 monthly. This plan will give you the two cleanings as well as other diagnostic and preventive care services (exams, x-rays, sealants, space maintainers) free of charge. This plan does provide coverage for basic services (fillings and stainless steel crowns) however does not cover major services. The good thing is even though major services appear to not be covered you will still have access to a negotiated savings for non-covered services when visiting a Dental Blue dentist. This plan has a calendar year benefit maximum of $500, a deductible of $25 and no waiting periods.
Keeping your current dentist
If you want to stay with your current dentist chances are you should check
with a PPO network. They have a much larger choice of providers in your area. It’s easy to search for providers on carrier websites by going to their “find a provider” section. If you have trouble, get in touch with your local insurance agent! The HMO plans also have provider finders however there is a much smaller selection of dentists that are contracted with the plan. You may have a tough time finding a plan that your dentist accepts.
A good HMO plan to look at is the Delta Dental Delta Care USA. There are no waiting periods, benefit maximums, lifetime maximums or deductibles. You also receive care for orthodontic services. If you have a tooth ache and are in need of immediate coverage (assuming you don’t already have a dental plan) this would be a good choice. Ask your insurance agent about how to locate the providers.
