Dental Issues
Determining Your Family Dental Care Needs
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Oct 29, 2014 - 10:19:37 AM

Open Enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is November 15, 2014 through February 15, 2015

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - PLANTATION, FL (Oct. 29, 2014) - With the second open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act approaching, :DentalPlans  offers these tips for people in search of affordable dental care.

Dental insurance seems like a good idea but, as personal finance blog Smart Money pointed out in their article on dental saving plans, traditional dental insurance pays for preventative services but provides very limited coverage for actual dental work such as root canals, crowns, and dentures.

What's best for you will likely depend on the amount of dental work you or your family needs each year.

Before signing up for dental insurance in the next open-enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act, starting November 15, 2014, here are a few things you should know about dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Under the Affordable Care Act, all health plans sold to individuals and small businesses must cover 10 categories of service known as Essential Health Benefits (EHB):

• Ambulatory patient services
• Emergency services
• Hospitalization
• Maternity and newborn care
• Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
• Prescription drugs
• Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices;
• Laboratory services
• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
• Pediatric services, including oral and vision care (Adult dental care is notincluded.)

"There was a lot of confusion for consumers in the healthcare exchanges as to whether dental care was or was not covered for adults or children during the first enrollment period," says Bill Chase, vice president of marketing of for :DentalPlans. "One would have assumed that pediatric dental care would be part of every plan because it's an Essential Health Benefit. But it didn't quite work out that way in 2014 and nothing was done to address this on the federal level for the upcoming enrollment period."

So the question remains, do my family and I need dental insurance? Here are a few factors individuals and families should consider.

• Will a member of my family or I need any work beyond two annual cleanings, exams, and x-rays?
• What does the annual dental insurance cover? What are the co-pays and what are the yearly maximums (sometimes as low as $1,000/year)?
• Is my children's dental care covered by my health insurance or will I need to purchase a stand-alone plan?
• What is the deductible that must be met before non-preventive dental services are covered?
• If dental care for your children is covered within your health plan, does the out-of-pocket maximum apply separately to dental or does the medical out-of-pocket apply?
  • Is there a waiting or probationary period for major dental work, like a root canal? For minor work, like a cavity?
  • How much would the dental services cost me with and without dental insurance?

For those individuals or families where dental insurance may not make sense, dental savings plans offer an affordable option to gain some relief in out-of-pocket dental care costs.

The benefits of a dental savings plan include savings of up to 60 percent off the dentist's typical rates. There is no waiting to use your plan, no forms to file, no health restrictions, no limit on how often you can use your plan and open enrollment all year long.

Members pay a low annual fee for access to a network of participating dentists, who have agreed to charge less for their services for plan members. As a plan member, you simply show your membership card when visiting any of the 140,000+ participating dentists to receive dental procedures at a reduced price.

Services may include annual cleanings, x-rays, crowns, root canals, and even cosmetic and orthodontic procedures, which are not typically covered by insurance.  And depending on the plan you choose, savings on vision and prescriptions are available as well.

"Many Americans cannot afford the cost of a stand-alone dental insurance policy on top of buying their health insurance plan," adds Chase. "With :DentalPlans you will rest easy knowing you are getting the best care for the lowest possible price, when you need it. And more importantly, you will be keeping your and your family healthy and smiling."

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About :DentalPlans
:DentalPlans, founded in 1999, is the largest dental savings plan marketplace in the USA, offering consumers access to 40+ dental savings plans from trusted healthcare brands, like Aetna, Careington, Signature Wellness, and UNI-CARE. Plan members have access to more than 100,000 dentists nationwide.

:DentalPlans, which has been included in the INC. 5000 list for three years standing, is committed to making you smile by making access to quality oral healthcare affordable and available to everyone. Visit us at www.dentalplans.com and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/dentalplans.

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