Florida Individual Dental Insurance is something that every person should consider for himself or herself. Most insurance plans do not include dental insurance and purchasing a separate plan is then necessary for the health of your teeth. Perhaps you have heard that healthy teeth have been associated in studies with a longer and healthier life. This is true. With the cost of dental care, purchasing a Florida Individual Dental Insurance policy will ensure that you have the necessary coverage to keep your teeth healthy and in your mouth, where they belong.
Costs of Dental Care
There are currently two types of individual dental insurance plans, for Floridians, which you can purchase. However, you need to understand that dental insurance can be quite expensive (although not as expensive as health insurance) and maximums are often reached quickly. You should take into consideration the condition of your teeth before you purchase a plan, you may want to adjust up or down for your coverage (or your deductible) based on how healthy your teeth are. What’s more, many insurance companies do not offer dental insurance plans for individuals because they do not see it as offering a potential way for them to make money.
Most people only visit the dentist twice a year. The cost of visiting the dentist for x-rays and a cleaning is about $150 each time. Many people are not willing to pay the $74 a month in premiums for a service that costs them $300 a year (versus the $888 a year in premiums if they choose a plan). However, the people who do want to purchase insurance recognize that the cost of any problems with their teeth justifies the cost of purchasing individual dental insurance, even at close to one hundred dollars a month. A single crown can cost $500 to several thousand dollars a tooth. Insurance typically pays between 60% and 80% of that cost, depending on the plan, proving its value quickly.
Finding Individual FL Dental Insurance Coverage
This does not mean that you will not be able to find individual dental coverage, only that you may have to work harder to find it than you would for a family plan, (which can average about $125 a month). If you are already purchasing a Florida health insurance plan then you will want to check with your current insurance company to determine if they offer individual dental insurance that you can add as a rider to your current health care plan; or determine if you will need to choose a plan from another company. You can also speak to one of our independent agents and he or she will be able to answer your questions about what your insurance company offers and where you need to look for in individual dental insurance coverage.
Types of FL Individual Dental Insurance
As mentioned above, there are two types of individual dental plans, managed care plans and indemnity plans. If you have Florida health insurance, these two types of plans should sound familiar to you as health insurance plans also offer both indemnity options and managed care options. Dental and health insurance plans are very similar in what they have to offer.
Managed Care Plans
Dental managed care plans are available in DHMOs, PPOs and POS plans. These plans are very similar to their health care counter parts. A DHMO (dental health maintenance organization), provides a low or no deductible option to its recipients. You must go to a dentist within the network (dental work outside of the network is never covered, not even in an emergency) and pay a co pay at the dentist, which can range from ten to twenty dollars depending on the type of insurance that you purchase. There are a lot of advantages to using a DHMO plan; the best being that there is little to no out of pocket costs (cleanings and x-rays are usually included at no charge).
A PPO plan offers you a little more flexibility in terms of what dentist that you have to see. As with a DHMO a PPO has a network of dentist to choose from, however you are able to receive services outside of the network if you choose. Your PPO network dentists agree to never charge the PPO more than a set amount of money for services received; however, if you go out of your network, then you will be responsible for the difference between the set amount agreed upon with the PPO and what your out of network dentist actually charges. This difference can be minor or major depending on the type of services that you receive out of network. You are able to get a list of acceptable rates from your PPO so that you will know in advance what your out of pocket responsibility will be.
A point of service plan (POS) is very similar to a PPO plan; however, you choose up front whether you want to see a dentist inside or outside of the network. In addition, you can switch dentists at will and get the services you need from the kind of dentist (even a specialist) that you need when you need it.
Indemnity Plans
An indemnity plan does not require you to see any network dentists. You are able to see whatever dentist you want. However, in most cases you have to pay a high deductible to make an indemnity plan affordable (although your basic services such as x-rays and two cleanings a year will be included with no co pay or out of pocket expense). Most indemnity plans require that you pay for your costs out of pocket and then receive a reimbursement for covered fees from the insurance company. However, there are some dentists who are willing to bill the insurance company directly and charge you estimated fees (for items not covered) and charge you or repay you for the difference later.
What Do FL Individual Dental Plans Cover?
Most individual dental plans will cover all preventative maintenance costs as part of your insurance plan. Other services are assigned a tier level; for example, basic care would include simple extractions, fillings, denture adjustments, etc. while major care would be impacted extractions, root canals, crowns, etc. Each tier has a reduced amount that your dental insurance will cover. An example of this would be 100% of preventative care, 80% of basic care and 60% of major care. It is very rare to find a dental plan that will cover the cost of braces.
Find the Plan You Need Now!
If you are looking for an individual dental insurance plan in the sunshine state then you should consider using the free FL health insurance quote tool (at the top of the page) so that you can compare the rates of different dental plans. No two plans cost the same and it will save you money to make a comparison before you buy. The tool will only show you plans from stable and reliable insurance companies so you can feel confident in your choice. In addition, there is no obligation when you use a quote tool.
If you are unsure about what you want or need, then call one of our FL independent agents and get all of your questions answered. We are here to help you make an educated decision about our dental insurance and want to help you in any way that we can. You can start the process by entering your zip code above.