Does Health Insurance Cover Dental Treatment?

Good oral health plays a vital role in your overall well-being. The mouth is considered a gateway between your body and the external environment, and if it doesn’t properly clean and well-maintained, it could lead to poor oral hygiene linked to chronic diseases like diabetes and digestive system disorders. The cost of dental care is usually high, but dental can help you pay the expenses of your regular oral checkup or even expensive treatments.

Oral Health is related to the overall health of your body. If you suffer from unforeseen medical conditions and chronic diseases, you purchase a health insurance policy to get financial coverage against your medical bills. Therefore, some people might wonder if Health Insurance can cover dental insurance as well. In fact, it’s a hot question nowadays that “Does Health Insurance cover Dental Treatment?” We’ll answer this question in detail in this article. We’ll also guide you on the best dental coverages, how to get them, and what are the best dental insurance companies especially for International Students in the USA. So, let’s get started!

Does Health Insurance Cover Dental Treatment?

Yes! Health Insurance does cover dental treatment. You can get dental treatment coverage in the following two ways:

Dental Treatment Coverage under a Health Insurance Policy

A wide range of popular insurance companies is providing health insurance policies that include dental coverage as well. In that case, you’ll have to pay the premium for both your health and dental coverage. If you practice high-quality oral hygiene and have good oral health, dental coverage under a health insurance policy is a good option for you.

Stand-Alone, Separate Dental Insurance Coverage

A large number of health insurance providers are offering dental insurance as a separate, standalone insurance product. It’s best for people suffering from oral diseases. If you buy separate dental insurance coverage, you might have to pay more in premiums depending on your coverage needs.

Stand-Alone Dental plans fall into two categories depending on the premiums: High and Low.

• The Higher Dental Insurance plans have higher premiums but low deductibles and often lower copayments. So, if you choose higher dental insurance plans, you’ll have to pay more every month but less when you use dental services.
• The lower dental insurance plans have lower premiums but have high deductibles and copayments. In this option, you’ll pay less every month. However, you’ll have to pay more when you use dental services.

Which Health Insurance Cover Dental Treatment?

Several health insurance companies provide standard health insurance plans that include dental treatment coverage, such as:

• Aetna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Humana
• United Healthcare
• HealthPartners

Most of these health insurance companies also offer dental treatment insurance as a separate coverage.

Dental Treatment Insurance as a Separate, Stand-Alone Insurance Policy

Dental Insurance is a separate insurance product from traditional primary health insurance. It provides you financial protection against heavy dental bills and expensive oral treatments. At present, almost 64% of the US Population has dental coverage. Dental Insurance works just like health insurance. You pay monthly premiums, in return for which you can get financial help in your dental treatment. You may have a waiting period before you can get paid by your insurance providers.

What Does Dental Treatment Insurance Cover?

Most of the dental treatment insurance providers implement the 100/80/50 cost-sharing model, according to which your insurance plan will cover:

• 100% of the costs of routine checkups, treatments, and preventive measures, including cleaning and annual x-rays.
• 80% of the expenses of basic services, including tooth extractions or filling of root canals.
• 50% of the expenses of significant services and treatment procedures, including dentures, crowns, and bridges.

Some Dental Treatment Insurance plans provide coverage for orthodontic appliances like retainers and braces. So always choose a dental treatment plan considering you and your family’s current and future dental needs. Most Dental Insurance plans don’t provide coverage for cosmetic dental services because they’re considered non-medical procedures.

What are the major types of Dental Treatment Insurance Plans?

There’re many different types of dental treatment insurance plans offered by various insurance providers. These insurance plans are different from each other in terms of costs, premium rates, and benefits. Some insurance provider offers an extensive network of dentists, due to which they charge a higher monthly premium for their clients.

There’re three most common types of dental treatment insurance plans:

– PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations)

It’s the most common type of dental treatment insurance plan. In a PPO, a network of qualified dental care providers offers dental services for an agreed-upon fee. If you’re a PPO holder and use the services of an out-of-network dentist, you’ll likely pay more out of pocket.

– DHMOs (Dental Health Maintenance Organizations)

A DHMOs dental treatment insurance plan pays out a set monthly amount to a network of dental care providers. Your insurer will pay the agreed amount at the start of every month regardless of whether your choose to receive dental care.

– Dental Savings Plans

Dental Savings Plans are sold to you by a company contracted with a group of dental care providers agreeing to discount their dental fees. Most of these plans also include coverage for cosmetic services.

How much does Dental Insurance cost?

Dental Insurance costs depend on a wide range of factors, including your oral condition, overall health, age, and gender as well. Most dental treatment insurance plans can cost you from $20 to $60 in terms of monthly premiums of a basic dental plan. The standard dental care services with their average costs are given in the below table:

Best Dental Insurance Companies

Here, we have summarized a list of some of the best dental insurance companies that provide dental treatment insurance plans to everyone, especially students and seniors.

1. Cigna

Availability: 50 States

Coverage Limit: Up to $1500

AM Best Rating: A

If You’re looking for cheap dental insurance on easy terms and conditions, Cigna is undoubtedly the best choice for You. With a vast network of more than 93000 highly qualified dentists and a wide range of plans, Cigna is committed to meeting the dental insurance needs of people with any budget limit. The dental treatment coverage provided by this revolutionary insurance company has no copays and deductibles when it comes to preventive care from in-network dentists.

Cigna offers DPPO (Dental Preferred Provider Organization) plans for people of all ages. There’re three major dental treatment insurance plans that Cigna provides:

• Cigna Dental 1500

This plan offers coverage up to $1500 per year. The monthly premiums start from $35, which makes it affordable dental insurance for students. The deductibles are mostly $50 for individuals and $150 for families.

• Cigna Dental 1000

Cigna Dental 1000 provides dental treatment coverage up to $1000 per year with monthly premiums starting at $30.

• Cigna Dental Preventative

This plan covers preventive dental services starting at $19 per month.

Pros

• Restorative and Orthodontic Coverage is available in some plans
• A vast network of qualified dentists (More than 93000)

2. Renaissance Dental

Availability: 50 States

Coverage Limit: Up to $1000

AM Best Rating: A+

Although Renaissance Dental does not provide the comprehensive coverage that Cigna offers, it’s on our list due to its even more extensive network of qualified dentists, which is more than 300000+. Renaissance Dental also secures an excellent reputation for customer service. It offers a variety of dental treatment insurance plans at affordable rates. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong if we say Renaissance Dental is one of the affordable dental insurance companies in the country that offers the best dental insurance coverage.

Renaissance Dental offers three major dental insurance plans, including the Essentials Plan, Plan II, and Plan III. It also provides dental insurance for seniors on easy terms and conditions.

Pros

• Some Plans provide 100% preventive coverage.
• A vast network of dental offices (More than 300000)
• Online Quotes

Cons

• The maximum annual benefit per person is not more than $1000
• Orthodontic care is not included in the plans
• Limited coverage for basic and major services

3. Spirit Dental & Vision

Availability: 50 States

Coverage Limit: Up to $5000 after three years

AM Best Rating: A

If You’re looking for dental insurance with no waiting period, Spirit Dental is a good choice. It offers a variety of dental insurance plans with no waiting period. The annual maximum benefit amount increases gradually after a few years of possession of the insurance policy. Spirit Dental guarantees acceptance for everyone, whether you’re an old citizen or an international student. You can even get coverage for major services and dental implants.

Spirit Dental has developed a strong partnership with Ameritas, thanks to which the clients can get access to the largest dental network in the world. Currently, Spirit Dental provides the choice to get dental care from 111500 dental providers at 428000 access points.

Spirit Dental only charges a one-time $100 deductible on its dental insurance plans with no waiting periods. Most dental treatment insurance plans provided by Spirit Dental include:

• Preventive Coverage
• Three Cleanings per year
• Orthodontics for kids
• Annual maximum benefit of up to $5000 after completing three years of the policy.

Pros

• No Waiting Periods on all Insurance Plans
• $100 one time lifetime deductible
• 100% preventive coverage, including three cleanings and two exams annually

Cons

• Low Annual Coverage ($750)

4. UnitedHealthOne Dental Insurance

Availability: 50 States

Coverage Limit: Up to $3000

AM Best Rating: A

UnitedHealthOne is included in our list of top dental insurance companies because it offers the best comprehensive dental coverage, including preventive and orthodontic care for people belonging to any professional and age group. Its affordable plans can save you a lot of money. Working in all 50 states of the USA, UnitedHealthOne offers dental insurance plans with no age limit and preventive care covered with no deductibles or waiting periods.

Although some dental insurance plans require a waiting period of 4 months, most plans have no waiting periods. UnitedHealthOne offers the maximum annual benefits starting from $1000 on its dental insurance plans.

You can get three major dental treatment insurance plans from UnitedHealthOne, including:

• Essential Dental Plan

With the Annual Maximum benefit of $1000 per person, Essential Plan offers you the Basic Services at 50%, 65%, and then finally 80%. Major dental care services are not covered under this plan. The deductible in the Essential Dental plan is $50 per person.

• Premier Choice Dental

This plan covered 100% of the preventive care with an annual maximum benefit of up to $1500 per person with a $50 deductible. The basic services coverage starts at 50% in year one and finally comes to 80% in the third year of the policy.

• Premier Max Dental

Just like Premier Choice Dental, Premier Max Dental covers 100% of the preventive care. However, the annual maximum benefit in this plan is up to $3000 per person with a $50 deductible.

Pros

• Vast Network of Dentists
• 100% Preventive Care
• Orthodontics coverage is included

Cons

• Some dental insurance plans have waiting periods.

Conclusion:

Dental Treatment is covered by health insurance as well as sold as a separate, standalone insurance product. Many Insurance Companies provide health insurance that includes dental treatment coverage as well. If you buy a health insurance policy that offers dental treatment coverage, you may have to pay separate premiums for health insurance and dental coverage.

Many well-known insurance companies sell dental treatment insurance as separate products, including Cigna, UnitedHealthOne, and Spirit Dental. These companies offer dental treatment insurance plans to everyone, especially seniors and students.