Dental crowns do more than just improve the appearance of your smile. They help to rebuild your teeth so you can maintain good oral health.
Committing to crowns can be pricey — but the right dental insurance plan can help you foot the bill. Read on for everything you need to know about dental insurance that covers crowns.
Ready to find the best dental insurance providers? Here are Benzinga’s picks for providers that cover crowns.
Delta Dental has been in business for 70 years and has focused exclusively on dental care. It has an extensive network that includes 3 out of 4 dentists in the country, so it’s easy to find a great provider.
It offers online tools to make it easy to manage your plan.
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UnitedHealthcare may be best known for health insurance, but it’s partnered with Golden Rule Insurance Company to offer dental plans as well. Several plans include coverage for crowns along with free preventive care.
UnitedHealthcare’s dental plans also include access to hearing aid discounts at thousands of providers. As a bonus, you can also add on vision benefits to cover annual eye exams, glasses and contacts.
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Smart Health Dental is a unique carrier that offers no-waiting period coverage for your dental needs. There’s a network of over 200,000 dentists and 2 insurance plans (plus a discount card).
Basic coverage handles cleanings, but it doesn’t cover major procedures. If you step up to the more robust plan, you will have coverage for the more intensive care you may require. Or, if you don’t need much in the way of “coverage”, you can use the dental discount card to get a cleaning and pay less.
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DentalInsurance.com makes finding the right dental coverage super easy. Enter some basic information, including your date of birth and ZIP code, to receive quick quotes for several plans in your area.
You can choose among top insurers like Delta Dental, Nationwide, Humana and Guardian Direct. Plan types include PPOs, indemnity plans and dental discount plans.
DentalInsurance.com has excellent customer reviews and extensive educational resources about dental insurance and dental care.
DentalInsurance.com is for comparison shopping because it is a marketplace rather than a provider. It can connect you with dental insurance carriers that best suit your needs and budget.
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Dental discount plans give you painless access to lower-cost dental care. You don’t have to worry about what’s covered and what’s not, and you don’t have to file any claims.
Dentalplans.com makes it easy to find and compare dental discount plans in your area. With just a few clicks, the site provides you with a list of plans to review and a link to sign up for each.
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Humana offers affordable dental coverage and multiple plans that help pay for crowns. You’ll also find plans that cover 100% of preventive dental care and low deductibles.
Humana offers an easy-to-navigate website and an extensive provider network. You can enroll online, but if you prefer a more personal experience, you can also call and talk to a representative.
Ameritas’ multiple plans cover crowns and other restorative dental care. It also covers you whether you go to an in-network or out-of-network dentist — although you may save money if you see an in-network provider.
You’ll find plans with low deductibles and high annual maximums. No waiting period for benefits and no enrollment fee set Ameritas apart from other plans.
Dental insurance may cover crowns, but inclusion of major restorative work varies by plan and provider. Some plans just cover basic, preventive services. Other plans cover more. Here are the levels of coverage you’ll typically see in dental plans:
As you review potential dental plans, double-check the plan to see if crowns are included. Many full coverage plans include crowns, but every company is different.
Review plan exclusions and the policies on preexisting conditions. Some plans don’t cover conditions that happen before you begin coverage, while others have a waiting period. For example, a plan might have a 180-day waiting period before you can get a crown.
Dental insurance plans also vary when it comes to how you can access care. As you review your options, you’ll see several types of plans, including:
Dental preferred provider organization (PPO) plans have a network of dentists. If you see a dentist within the network, you’ll receive lower rates. You may be able to see dentists outside the network, but you will pay more if you do.
Dental health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are more restrictive than dental PPO plans. You choose a dentist or dental facility that’s a part of the HMO network, and that dentist coordinates all of your care. The plan pays the dentist a monthly fee to cover your care, and this helps keep your costs down. If you see an out-of-network dentist, you may be responsible for all the costs.
Insurance companies may also refer to these plans as indemnity or traditional dental plans. With this type of plan, the provider pays a percentage of the charges for any dental services you receive.
These plans aren’t insurance plans. A discount plan provider negotiates with dentists to offer a set discount on services. You pay a monthly or annual fee to join the plan. When you go to the dentist, you’ll receive a discount on your dental services. You don’t have to file a claim or worry about plan limits.
The right plan for you depends on several factors, including the plan coverage, the dental network and your budget.
The average cost of dental insurance ranges from $15 to $50 per month. Comprehensive plans that pay for crowns may be on the higher end of that range. Your costs may be higher or lower based on certain factors:
A few dental plans offer limited discounts. Some plans may offer a small reward you can use to help cover your deductible if you stay below a certain threshold. You may also find plans that offer special rates to seniors. If you’re concerned about finding affordable dental insurance, the best approach is to shop around and compare multiple quotes.
Dental insurance plans vary, so what should you look for? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Do you already have a dentist you and your family like working with? If so, choose a plan that has your dentist in-network.
If you or a family member is going to need a crown or orthodontic work, look for a plan that provides that coverage. Keep in mind there may be a waiting period before coverage starts, and not all plans cover preexisting conditions.
Like most types of insurance, dental plans require you to pay for a share of costs out of pocket. These may include:
Copays are a set amount you pay for a given service. For example, your plan might require you to pay $20 for a routine preventive care visit.
Your coinsurance is the percentage of the service cost you’re responsible for. For example, you might have a 20% coinsurance for a crown, which means you pay 20% of the costs. Your insurance plan pays the other 80%.
This is the amount you pay for covered dental services before your plan starts paying. If you have a $500 deductible and you get $1,000 in covered dental work, you have to pay $500 before your plan will contribute.
Your annual limit is the most your dental insurance plan will pay in benefits per calendar year. If you have a $2,000 annual limit, your plan will pay up to $2,000 toward dental costs for the year. After that, all costs are your responsibility.
This is the amount you pay for dental coverage. You may pay on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.
If you want a lower premium, you can choose a plan with a high deductible and low annual limit. However, such a plan will bring higher out-of-pocket costs, so you may not save money in the long run.
There is no one-size-fits-all dental plan. Plans vary significantly, and the plans available to you depend on where you live.
If you want simplicity, dental discount plans are a great choice. You pay an annual fee and receive discounts upfront. You don’t have to worry about whether an insurance company will pay your claim. You can find plans in your area by visiting our trusted partner — Dentalplans.com.
If you prefer more traditional dental plans, take the time to compare multiple quotes. Dig into the details of each plan and analyze the short- and long-term benefits. For example, many plans increase your benefits over the first few years you have the plan. It might cover 20% for crowns in year 1, 30% for crowns in year 2 and 50% in year 3.
Take the time to understand the details and find the most value for your money.