Anyone living in Missouri needs to know about changes to dental insurance plans in the state. That’s important if you are going to get maximum value out of this kind of health insurance coverage.
How to Determine if a Dental Plan Is Worth the Expense
A lot of people tell me that a dental plan isn’t worth the investment. It’s too expensive for what they get out of it. I tell them that if they are very deliberate in getting their two routine preventative care visits every year that are typically covered at a hundred percent, then they are probably breaking even or might even come out a little ahead. You need to compare your dental premiums to the cost of this preventative care.
It’s when you need an extraction, deep cleaning, periodontal work or root canal that dental benefits and discounts can start to work in your favor.
Those with Dental Insurance Need to Know a Recent Change in Missouri Law
If you have dental insurance or are looking for it, you need to understand the key components of dental plans and how they have recently changed. I mostly deal with individual dental plans. With these plans, there are waiting periods. In other words, once you get this insurance, how long do you have to wait until you can get a major service? Over the years, there have been scenarios in Missouri where there weren’t any waiting periods, or you had a six-month wait on extractions or twelve months on root canals.
But now, because of changes in Missouri, there are plans where you can use your insurance for any dental problems you’re dealing with from day one. When you choose a dental plan, it’s very important to know about the waiting period that might be required. If you have this insurance for a month and you find out you need a root canal and you can’t get any financial help with it, that’s a really big problem.
Why Many People Find Dental Insurance Disappointing
When you get dental insurance with a long waiting period, you’re paying a monthly premium that you can’t even really use for that root canal for a year. That’s really disappointing for many people. And that’s what makes a lot of people upset with dental insurance.
The other factor that affects people is the annual maximum. How much coverage do you have for yourself or your family per year? With some policies, it’s a thousand, or it could be $1500. Some plans are $2000. I’ve seen some plans with a maximum of $3000. When you choose a policy you need to consider how much you see yourself needing dental work. Some people know they have teeth that are higher maintenance than others. Maybe they are more prone to cavities. Other people realize they are going to need more root canals or other work. You need to find out about both limits and waiting periods, before you finalize your insurance.
How to Get the Best Deal on Dental Insurance in Missouri
My last tip to you on how to get the best dental insurance is that you want to check with somebody like myself, an insurance consultant, because we’re keeping up with these changing dental plans in Missouri or any state that you’re in. Each state’s a little different. You want to make sure that you’re picking a plan that is going to be right for you, that your dentist is in-network with, and that you’re going to have a good experience with. That’s half the battle.
When you need a good deal on dental insurance, give us a call at MBhealth at (314) 544-5400.
