If your son or daughter require braces in the near future, you may want to get a full coverage dental insurance for braces, so as to cover the costs of the procedure.
Getting braces whether for your children or for yourself can be a costly proposition, especially if you don’t have a dental insurance in place. A good plan covers costs related not only to the braces for you and/or your child, but also any other procedure which you may need to go through. With the rise in health care costs with each passing year, an insurance plan can be of great help. Not all the insurance companies provide full coverage dental insurance for braces, as they consider putting on braces as cosmetic, and so it may be difficult to find a good deal. But having said that, there are companies which provide such a coverage and once you have found out that, take a close look at the benefits offered.
Best Insurance Plans
A full coverage insurance plan for braces may be difficult to find as most companies offer partial payment for total braces treatment. There are basically two inexpensive plans offered by insurance companies ― Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) plan. Under these plans, there are several dentists who are a part of this network and they provide dental care for those who are members of this plan. So in short, if you opt to be the member of either of these plans, you can avail of benefits offered under these plans.
The difference between these plans is the way the dentists are paid. Under the HMO plan, the dentists are paid a fixed amount each month, while under the PPO plan dentists lower costs for those who are covered under this plan in return for referrals from insurance companies. For braces, it is said that HMO plan offers a better deal, but you need to check whether it gives you the best deal. You should get quotes from different service providers, so that you know what is on offer by different companies.
There are companies which offer plans only in severe cases. Severe cases are those wherein a patient suffers an underbite so much so that it starts affecting the jaw functions, speaking, and eating. It’s only in such cases that all the costs incurred would be paid including that of braces and surgery.
Affordable Insurance Plans
While you are searching affordable plans for braces, you need to keep in mind a couple of things. You need to either look for dental discount plans for braces or a simple dental insurance. A dental insurance plan is one under which the cost of braces is not covered in full. You need to pay some amount, and usually the service is offered at a discounted rate. This means, you need to pay a comparatively lower amount to the dentist compared to what you may need to pay if you had to pay the whole amount from your pocket. You can avail of this plan only if you buy such a coverage, and it’s possible to save 30% to 50% of the costs which you may need to pay otherwise.
The other option which can be availed of includes a general dental insurance which covers the cost of braces. In such a case, you may need to pay a deductible after which the monthly premiums you pay is on the lower side. If you get such a plan, it’s better if you grab it, as the cost of this process is quite high and it can go as high as US $5000. So it’s better if the insurance company pays rather than you paying from your pocket.
However, please remember to go through the terms and conditions before you go for any plan, so that you know the amount you need to pay and any other charges which may be there.
