Dental Discount Plans for Seniors

Dental insurance is crucial to your healthcare but is excluded from standard health insurance. Dental discount plans offer access to every service at a reduced rate. There are no annual maximums or deductibles, so you can get the care you need, ideally without breaking your budget. Read on to understand how dental discount plans for seniors can play a critical role in your healthcare and how to ensure you get the best available coverage.  

What Is a Dental Discount Plan for Seniors?

A dental discount plan for seniors is unlike standard dental insurance. You'll still pay a monthly premium to join a dental discount plan. However, dental discount plans generally have no annual maximums or deductibles. Instead, you pay a discounted price for any service you receive. Usually, all services, including those for preexisting conditions, receive some discount. 

How Does a Dental Discount Plan Work?

Dental discount plans are a type of annual membership program. Usually, you pay a single upfront fee or make monthly installments on the annual subscription. When you visit the dentist, you are responsible for paying for all services out of pocket. The out-of-pocket price for dental services is discounted for plan holders. Discount dental services are only available through a network of dentists who have agreed to charge less.

Here’s how discount dental plans commonly work:

• Shop for a dental discount plan based on your needs. This can include treatment types, individual or family coverage and whether your preferred dentist is in-network. 
• After deciding on a dental discount plan, you can purchase it through a single payment or monthly installments. The average dental discount plan costs around $100 to $150. 
• After the plan is active, you can schedule appointments with in-network dentists and receive a discount on all treatments. 
• Let your service provider know you have a discount plan and they’ll charge the appropriate discount rate.
• Pay the discounted dental for all treatment you receive out of pocket.

Dental Discount Plan vs. Dental Insurance

Dental discount plans and dental insurance for seniors vary significantly. Dental insurance works like standard health insurance. Like a dental discount plan, dental insurance usually has a network of providers. However, unlike discount plans, dental insurance pays for some or all of the care for your teeth and funds. 

With dental insurance, you pay a monthly premium, and the insurance provider pays for a portion of each treatment. How much it covers depends on your dental insurance plan, coverage and any deductibles or copays. For example, most plans don't cover 100% for preventative treatment like routine cleanings and checkups. Many plans don't pay for cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening. Here is an overview of key differences.

What Does a Dental Savings Plan for Seniors Cover?

Dental savings plans cover everything from preventative care and basic procedures to major dental work like crowns, root canals or dentures. Here's how this works. 

Preventive Care

Preventative care covers routine checkups, cleanings and X-rays. Discounts vary by plan but are typically 10% to 60% off the standard out-of-pocket rate. 

Basic Procedures

Basic dental procedures like fillings, extractions and emergency care are also included in dental discount plans. Average out-of-pocket costs for a filling, for example, range from $90 to $250 for a single composite filling before dental discounts. Discounts typically range from 10% to 60% based on your plan's specified discounts. 

Major Procedures

Major procedures like root canals, crowns, bridges and dentures are costly. With a dental discount plan, you could save 10% to 60% on standard out-of-pocket costs based on your plan's specified discounts. 

What Is Not Covered?

With dental discount plans, any type of dental care, including orthodontics and cosmetic procedures, is covered as long as the provider is in-network. What's not covered by dental discount plans varies by provider, but here are some common limitations, including:

• Out-of-network dental procedures
• 100% of dental procedures
• Other medical or healthcare, but many plans let you add on vision, hearing, telemedicine, prescription drugs, chiropractic care, smoking cessation or other discount plans.

Advantages 

There are some major advantages to dental discount plans, including: 

• No waiting period: As soon as your dental discount plan is active, you can benefit from dental discounts. This contrasts with dental insurance, which often has waiting periods of six months to a year.  
• No deductibles: Even excellent dental insurance has a deductible. Instead, with a dental insurance plan you know exactly how much discount you'll receive at in-network providers. 
• Low cost: A typical dental discount plan costs anywhere from $9 to $14 monthly or around $100 to $150 annually. In contrast, dental insurance typically costs $50-plus monthly. 
• No underwriting: There are no underwriting requirements, so you won't need a credit check, tedious application or waiting. 

Disadvantages 

There are a few disadvantages of dental discount plans you should be aware of:

• You'll pay out of pocket: Whether for cleaning or dentures, with a dental discount plan, you will have to pay out of pocket for dental care, which can add up to more than insurance costs if you need extensive work. 
• Major procedures can add up: A full set of dentures costs between $1,000 to $15,000 per arch. With dental discounts, you could still need to pay $400 to $6,000 or more out of pocket.  
• No free visits: All services have out-of-pocket costs, unlike dental insurance, which may cover 100% of select dental care procedures.

Get the Best Dental Discount Plans for Seniors from Benzinga's Top Providers 

Find the best dental discount plans for seniors from Benzinga's top providers here. 

Should You Get a Dental Discount Plan for Seniors?

Dental discount plans for seniors can be a way to save on all dental expenses without having to pay much upfront for the discount. Whether they are the best choice for dental care depends on your dental health, expected procedures and the discount amount. However, because dental discount plans have no waiting period and no annual maximum, they are often an excellent choice for seniors. Consider also dental savings plans versus dental insurance, the best supplemental dental insurance, the most affordable dental insurance or consider a dental savings plan.  

Frequently Asked Questions