I heard from a client recently sharing that she just spent $1200 on one crown, and perhaps it is time to check into dental insurance. Since she is a Medica member, if she had had their Delta Dental Standard Plan without orthodontia coverage, she would have paid $650 for this crown, or perhaps even less if her dentist is a Delta Dental provider. Her monthly premium would be $32.80 or a little less than $400 per year, and assuming she went in twice a year for preventive care services for roughly $500, her premium more than pays for itself.
Buying dental insurance as a group is cheaper and most often offers richer coverage than purchasing as a single unit. Blue Cross, HealthPartners, and Preferred One, like Medica, offer competitive dental packages for their members. Depending on the size of your group, participation rules can vary from 100% participation to voluntary participation. Stand-alone dental products like Delta Pathfinder, Magnum, Denali, Spirit, Guardian, and Assurant, may have less stringent participation rules and instead have waiting periods for major services. A group can purchase preventive care only, increase annual maximum benefits to $1500 or $2000, upgrade endodontic services to basic coverage, and add orthodontic coverage. The employer can contribute part of the premium or not, and even sponsoring a non-contributory voluntary plan, makes you a hero with your benefits package.
Unlike auto or disability insurance, the person who has dental insurance undoubtedly uses it. And, just like preventive medical care, routine maintenance and early intervention help to deter major dental issues in the future. If you are a group without dental insurance, let us know if you would like a quote for your group or have any questions.
