Health insurance and dental benefits aren’t the same. It’s unfortunate, especially if you need to undergo a dental surgery that can cost more than $500. However, some health insurance policies include some dental benefits. But you must not assume.
Keep reading to know more about health insurance and dental coverage.
Can You Obtain Health Insurance and Dental Coverage?
If you are looking for health insurance in the marketplace, you can get dental coverage. It can be a part of your health plan or you can obtain a separate dental plan.
It’s important to note that you need to buy a health plan first before you can buy a Marketplace dental plan.
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What Dental Plans are Available?
If you choose health insurance with a dental plan, you can choose between high premiums but lower deductibles or low premiums but high deductibles. The former requires you to pay more each month. And if you need a dental service, you’ll pay less out of pocket.
When you compare health insurance with a dental plan, you need to know the overall cost of the plan, including its deductibles, and copayments. Make sure that you understand what dental services are being covered.
Why Do Some Health Insurance Plans Don’t Include Dental Benefits?
Dental benefits are not considered essential health benefits for adults, even though dental health is treated to general health.
Dentists can detect symptoms of kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease, and others just by looking at your teeth and mouth. In many cases, your dentist is your first line of defense.
However, it’s uncommon for someone to wind up in a hospital because of a tooth or a gum problem, if the person keeps up with his/her preventative dental care.
Oftentimes, dental problems can wait. They are not like having a heart attack that you need to go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
Dental issues may not kill you right away. However, if they are left untreated, the problem can deteriorate. Often, they can lead to life-threatening conditions.
In fact, this report stated that in 2017, 50,000 people had been diagnosed with oral cancer. But we all know that oral cancer can be easily prevented or treated if it’s caught early before it spreads.
Health Insurance with Dental Coverage Isn’t Regulated
Dental insurance isn’t regulated compared to health insurance. Furthermore, the yearly benefit isn’t that high. Then, you have to deal with a huge deductible.
The purpose of a dental plan is to prevent oral diseases. That’s why most benefits include regular maintenance services.
However, not all dental issues can be prevented. For instance, you may need to undergo a root canal because you crack your tooth from grinding.
Even though the dental plan covers preventative dental care, it doesn’t always include major dental procedures. That’s why before you purchase an expensive health insurance policy that includes a dental plan, you need to read the terms and conditions.
Should You Still Buy Health Insurance and Dental Coverage?
Unfortunately, there’s no definite answer here. It still depends on your financial situation and your overall dental health needs.
When choosing whether or not to purchase health insurance with a dental plan, you must consider the costs of the plan versus the yearly dental care costs.
Break down the cost of going to your dentist for cleanings, fillings, x-rays, and other routine care. Compare the costs with the monthly premiums of health insurance and dental plan.
It’s also a wise idea to consider your dental health when choosing to buy a dental health plan. Having dental coverage can be beneficial if you have a history of dental problems.
If you are on Medicare, it doesn’t cover dental work, though. But it will if it’s deemed medically necessary.
How to Buy Health Insurance and Dental Plan?
One of the most important things to consider when buying such a policy is to ensure that your current or preferred dentist is part of your plan or accepts your plan.
Read the fine print so you can fully comprehend what out-of-pocket costs you need to shoulder. It will also help you understand what dental work is covered and what’s not.
If you want a stand-alone dental plan, you must only purchase a policy that includes services that you need.
Remember that there’s a waiting period for most dental plans. Thus, you should not put off shopping for health insurance and dental plan. The sooner you buy a policy, the sooner the plan can start giving you benefits.
Conclusion
Health insurance and dental plan are not the same things. To obtain dental coverage, you can purchase a health plan with dental coverage. Or you can buy a separate dental plan. Find out here if health insurance will pay for wisdom teeth removal.
Erliza Lee has a BS Biology degree. She likes writing topics related to health and travel.
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