How To Get Dental Implants Covered By Insurance

Comparison of Dental Insurance Plans

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The high cost of dental care across the country can be downright mind-boggling. True, the costs you incur on dental care will depend on where you live, but many consumers would concur that costs are too high. Further compounding the hit to the consumer's pocket is the fact that many employer-funded health insurance plans pointedly omit dental costs. In other words, you are on your own when you get that hefty bill for a root canal and costly dental crowns.

To help remedy the situation, you should begin looking at some insurance plans specifically for dental care. You will find them from major insurance organizations like Humana, Cigna, Delta Dental, and Careington. To save even more on dental costs, you can subscribe to discount dental plans from organizations like Avia.

Pros and Cons of FEP Dental Plans

FEP dental plans can make paying for dental services more affordable for qualifying individuals. The federal government developed the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) to provide dental insurance coverage.

This program is for employees of several federal government departments. Coverage comes with the following classes of benefits:

Class A - This class includes basic dental services such as cleanings, X-rays and exams.
Class B - Involves more complex procedures such as oral surgery.
Class C - Involves major procedures such as implants, crowns and root canals.

All benefit classes have a Standard Option as well as a High Option, with the later offering higher coverage for dental expenses. For example, the High Option covers 70% of Class B expenses, while the Standard Option only covers 55%.

The only major downside of this dental insurance plan is that you will only qualify if you are a federal employee in some capacity. Retirees from federal departments may also qualify.

Combined Dental and Vision Plans

Companies like Humana offer a variety of packages that combine dental and vision insurance in one package. While the majority of patients might only opt for a standard health insurance plan, dental and vision insurance needs are another critical part of health.

The best way to get these at low cost to you is to participate in an employer-sponsored dental and vision plan. This is not always possible, however, because some employers don't cater for these needs in their employee health plans.

A dental and vision plan could end up saving you thousands of dollars if you require major dental work done. However, you should pay special attention to the maximum benefits defined in the plan. In addition, clauses in the insurance plan like wait time could mean that you have to spend perhaps up to a year enrolled in the plan before the big benefits become available.

A dental and vision insurance plan, however, can be very helpful in reducing your dental costs each year.

State-specific Dental Plans

Dental insurance solutions focused on your state may offer the biggest savings. For example, the state of Hawaii has HDS.

Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) is a company offering dental insurance in the state of Hawaii. About 95% of dentists in the state participate with HDS. HDS covers a wide range of dental procedures, including:

Root canal therapy
Crowns and gold restorations
Oral surgery
Gum treatment
Dentures and bridges

For each of these services, a co-payment will be necessary for the patient. This ranges from 0% for dental examinations all the way to 70% for root canals and dental crowns.

The biggest weakness for HDS insurance plans is that they have a wait period of as much as 12 months for certain services. This means that, for example, an adult enrolled in the plan has to wait 12 months before they can access root canal therapy.

Your state will likely have similar dental programs that focus on residents and provide high savings if you enroll.

Dental Discount Plans

A dental discount plan such as that offered by Avia can sometimes be the best way of reducing dental costs. Avia operates a network of dental services providers that all sign on to provide discounted services to subscribers of the plan.

The major advantage of the discount plan is that you receive services at discounts of as much as 50% to 70% off the regular price.

Unlike with many insurance plans, Avia's dental plan makes it possible to get dental services without going through a long wait time. If you have pre-existing conditions or other pressing dental needs, therefore, Avia's program is vastly preferable to the other options.