What Are Discount Dental Plans?

In the United States, per person dental expenses rose by 33 percent -- from $200 to $300 -- between 2000 and 2006. Half of that increase, according to Medicare research, can be explained by rising costs of dental care. The other half comes from increases in services used. A 2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators determined that out-of-pocket expenses for dental care totaled 27 percent of all out-of-pocket health care costs. With these increases, consumers are looking for viable low-cost solutions. Discount dental plans may be the answer for some people.

Basic Definition

• A discount dental plan is a membership system that provides members with a network of participating dentists who charge discounted rates to members. Membership costs may be as little as $80 per year for an individual plan, depending on the level of services selected. Members pay for the services at the time they are provided, but will receive discounts from 10 to 80 percent off the bill. Some plans, such as Signature Wellness, offer routine and in-depth, six-month checkups free to members.

How They Work

• Many discount dental plans can be joined via the Internet. There is no waiting period and no deductible. Plan members are given membership cards, which they must present at check-out to receive their discounts. Payment in full, minus the discount, is required unless the dentist offers payment arrangements. Members may use dentists anywhere in the country and receive the same discounts, as long as the dentist is a member of the plan.

Benefits of Having a Discount Plan

• Some discount dental plans offer elective services, such as teeth whitening and other types of cosmetic dentistry, which are almost never included by standard dental insurance. Other free services, such as vision plans, hearing plans or chiropractic plans may also be included. Some discount dental plans offer specialized health benefits such as discounts on diabetes supplies, behavioral counseling discounts and physical therapy treatments. By belonging to a discount dental plan, members have access to a fee schedule and know what every procedure will cost ahead of time.

How to Compare Discount Plans

• There are a lot of discount dental plans on the market. Some websites offer comparison charts to make comparisons easier. If an established reputation is more important, check out Aetna's Dental Access or Preferred Network Access by CIGNA. Other plans worth reviewing are: Avia Dental Plans, Basic Health Direct, HealthPlan One, GE Wellness Plan, Patriot Plan, UNI-Care 200 Discount Dental Plan. DentalPlans.com has a comparison chart that can be searched by zip code and allows you to compare providers by membership price, discount by service and other service benefits. Since these plans are renewable yearly, you can decide what your dental priorities are each year and change plans if needed.