|
Many people are
enrolled in group dental programs offered by their employers but often do not
fully understand the purpose and terms of these plans. In fact, many equate
dental benefits with group health insurance that provides full coverage for
treatment, high benefit limits, co-payment for office visits and complete
prescription drug coverage.
In reality, however, the group dental plans offered by most insurance companies
are not dental insurance at all. They are something quite different and are
more accurately described as dental assistance plans. As such, dental coverage
is designed to defray only part of the cost of dental care and frequently does
not cover every dollar of treatment charges, even if they are defined as
"covered" under the plan.
How can this be? Most dental plans comprise three parts:
-
Routine/preventative care, which covers exams, cleanings, x-rays and sealants.
-
Basic services, which covers fillings, root canals and extractions.
-
Major services, which covers more expensive treatments, such as gold fillings,
inlays and crowns.
Many dental plans also offer an orthodontia benefit that covers part of the
cost for braces for children under the age of 19. Most plans do not cover the
cost of adult orthodontia. If orthodontia is offered, the standard is 50%
coverage to a lifetime maximum benefit of $1,000.
|
|
|
 |