Most people are familiar with insurance and how it works: you pay a monthly premium and your insurance company agrees to pay a certain amount toward various services. But, is insurance the best option available? And if not, what alternatives are there?
The insurance conundrum
All insurances, medical, dental, automobile or life, work approximately the same way, and they can be very useful when circumstances require coverage. The trouble with many insurance plans, though, is their high cost.
"The trouble with many insurance plans, though, is their high cost."
Generally, the more valuable an insurance plan is, the more expensive it is. For example, it’s possible to purchase private dental insurance for a relatively small monthly premium, but these plans tend to require very high deductibles and copayments, low total payouts, and long waiting periods before coverage on advanced services becomes active.
Private dental insurance plans that actually cover all the routine and advanced services you are likely to need over the course of a year are usually much more expensive, putting them out of reach for many people.
This situation leaves many people deciding to forego getting the dental care they need because it’s too expensive to pay for coverage and also too expensive to pay out-of-pocket.
Is an alternative available?
Fortunately, there is an excellent alternative available when traditional dental insurance is not the right fit. It’s called a discount dental plan.
A discount dental plan provides a significant reduction of the out-of-pocket costs of routine and advanced dental services from participating dentists. Unlike insurance plans, a discount dental plan has no waiting periods before coverage is available, no set deductible you need to pay out first, and no hidden rules or fees that are going to change your coverage expectations.
Why does a discount dental plan work?
Dentists understand the insurance conundrum described above, and they realize that every patient who decides dental services are simply too expensive is one less patient that’s going to visit their office.
This can be challenging on two levels: as a professional, dentists know these individuals aren’t receiving the vital oral health care they need and may suffer as a result. As a business person, they know these individuals represent lost long-term revenue.
That’s why many dentists choose to offer discount dental plans to access to more patients and help them receive quality dental care. This nationwide group of participating providers is what makes a discount dental plan so valuable to patients across the country.
How does a discount dental plan work?
Here’s a look at how signing up for a discount plan with Dental Solutions can be done in a few quick steps.
- You sign up for the program and pay your first month, $9.95. (This amount covers you and your entire family. No pass/fail applications, no one is denied.)
- You choose a provider that’s convenient for you.
- You call the provider of your choice and make an appointment.
- When you arrive at your appointment, simply show them your Dental Solutions membership card and receive significant discounts on dental services. (The discounts range from 20%-50% off both routine and advanced dental procedures.)
Dental discount plans are designed to be simple and straightforward, unlike complex and confusing insurance plans. They offer a uniquely cost-effective alternative for individuals without dental insurance, and in many cases, they end up providing lower overall expenditures on dental services.
For more information on why a discount dental plan is a smart move to maintain your oral health, check out some of our previous blog articles on that subject.