Have you ever found a dental insurance plan with a great price, only to discover that your dentist doesn’t accept it? When it comes to dental coverage, the plan you choose and the dentist you see go hand in hand. Understanding how dental networks work can help you avoid unexpected costs and get the most value from your coverage.
My name is Dan Jung with MBhealth Insurance Agency here in St. Louis, Missouri. Today, I want to talk about how your choice of dentist can affect your dental plan costs.
Why Dental Networks Matter When Choosing a Plan
There are three different types of dental plans you’re likely to come across: dental HMOs, dental PPOs, and non-network plans. We work with products that may offer benefits through one or more of these network structures.
Dental HMO vs. PPO vs. Non-Network Plans
Typically, a dental HMO may offer very rich benefits, but it often comes with a smaller network because you must stay within a specific group of dentists. Dental PPO plans generally provide a broader network of providers, but that flexibility may come with a higher premium.
Non-network plans can offer discounts regardless of which dentist you choose, giving you additional flexibility when seeking care. You really want to try to find a plan that makes the most sense with the dentist that you choose.
How Your Current Dentist Influences Your Coverage Options
Now, I have a lot of people that come to me and they’ve already got a dentist. Sometimes that limits what we can do because we have to find a plan that your specific dentist accepts. But the tradeoff is, you may not end up with the plan that’s going to have the deepest discounts.
When you have a dentist that you use, you want to be careful and make sure that you’re matching that dentist with the right plan, especially when it comes to the product.
If you come to me and you don’t have a dentist, we can go wherever we want. Well, then I’m looking for something that’s going to cover you at a broad level so that you can go just about wherever you want and still have some level of benefit.
If you don’t currently have a dentist, your options may be more flexible.
Why You Should Review Your Dental Network Every Year
Dental networks can change from year to year. A dentist may decide to leave a network, join a different one, or maybe they decide to start doing their own plan. You have a lot of dental offices that want to have their own little product or policy instead of going through a carrier.
It’s important to review those potentialities every year so that you’re not caught off guard.
It’s also a good idea to check in with your dentist to make sure things are still going smoothly, because I have had scenarios where somebody comes to me and says, “You know, this dental plan just ain’t working.” And I’ve moved them into a plan where they can keep that same dentist, but it works better and more efficiently for them.
Need Help Comparing Dental Insurance Plans?
Don’t try to navigate dental insurance on your own. At MB Health, we can sit down with you in person or meet with you via Zoom to help you find the dental plan that best fits your needs and your family’s needs.
Take the time to explore your options. Visit us online at www.mbhealth.com or call us at 314-866-7406.
