Comparison Of Discount Dental Plans
Available To The General Public
There are many dental plans available to the general public. The following is a list of some of the plans available and other information that I have been able to glean from various publications. I have concentrated on the primary dental plans. Many other people offer the same plans under different names.
We are not insurance agents, now do we guarantee the information is 100% accurate, but it is a place to start. Please visit the websites below before you make a final comparison.
| Managed Care Plans |
Discount dental plans, also called capitulation plans, establish networks of dentists. You pay the company a monthly or yearly fee, which usually covers all or part of the fees for your cleaning and exam. The dentist then agrees to offer another group of services at a reduced fee. The plans vary according to the number of participating dentists, the amount that the dentist actually is reembursed, if anything, and the amount you pay.
The fees in the table below are a national average. They vary with locale. Please click on the links for more information.
| Plan | Typical Fees | Immediate Coverage? | Annual Deductable | Number Of
Participating Dentists |
Availability | Monthly Costs For Individual |
Monthly Costs For Family |
Complaints per 10,000 Subscribers1 |
Notes |
| Dentalplans.com |
Typical:
Exam $14 Cleaning $33 X-Rays $15 Filling $20 |
Yes | none | 100,000 | Nationwide (US& Canada) | Varies with plan; Aetna costs $99.95 for 15 months of coverage (equivalent to $6.66/month) | Varies with plan; Aetna costs $149.95 for 15 months of coverage (equivalent to $9.99/month) | 0.46 (few complaints) |
|
|
National Health Care Discount Denticare |
Exam $5 Cleaning $15 X-Rays $15 Filling $20 |
Yes | none | 20,000 | not available in ME, VT, RI, ND, ID, AS, HI | $14 | $15.75 | 0.29 (few complaints) |
|
| Careington3, Nationwide (low option) | Exam $11 Cleaning $25 X-Rays $34 Filling $34 |
Yes | none | 6500 in California, 11,500 Outside California | Low option not available in CA | $9 | $15 | 0.05 (few complaints) |
|
| Pacificare, California | Exam free Cleaning free X-Rays free Filling $15 |
Yes | none | 6500 in California |
CA Only | $15.50 | $35 | 0.05 (few complaints) |
|
| Smilesaver low option |
Exam Free Cleaning $20 X-Rays Free Filling $34 |
yes | none | 4000 in California |
Only available in California | $6.75 | $12.75 | 0.15 (few complaints) |
|
| Smilesaver high option |
Exam Free Cleaning Free X-Rays Free Filling $9 |
yes | none | 500 | Only available in California | $16.50 | $33.00 | 0.15 (few complaints) |
|
| Northeast Dental Plan |
Exam Free Cleaning $40 X-Rays $25 Filling $37 |
yes | none | 4500 | Available only in CT, FL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VI, DC | $7.08 | $16.25 | unrated | |
| Security Life Insurance Company |
Exam $10 Cleaning $20 X-Rays $30 Filling $45 (after deductable) |
$50 | All dentists included | Not available in Idaho, NC | $26 per month |
$71.50 per month |
0.72 (Moderate complaints) |
Indemty Plans Also Available | |
| Ameriplan |
Exam $12 Cleaning $25 X-Rays $30 Filling $40 |
Yes | None | 18,000 | Caution Not listed by California Department of Managed Care | $11.95 per month | $19.95 per month | No Data | Sold as a Multilevel Marketing (MLM) plan. Many members are "agents" trying to sell insurance. |
- Complaint data from State of California, Department of Corporations, Summary of 1998 or 1999 Enrollee Requests for Assistance. And California department of managed care summary of 2000 enrollee complaints. The complaint rate for all dental plans varies from 0.0 to 20.1 per 10,000 enrollees. Section 1397.5( b) of the Knox- Keene Act requires the following disclaimer: THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS HAS NEITHER INVESTIGATED NOR DETERMINED WHETHER THE COMPLAINTS COMPILED WITHIN THIS SUMMARY ARE REASONABLE OR VALID.
- There are 28 other plans not listed above. Most are available only via employer groups.
- Please note that Careington is not insurance and does not make payments directly to providers. It is a discount program and you are obligated to pay for all health benefits. You will receive discounts for certain health care providers who have contracted with the plan. This plan is administered by Careington International Corporation, 7400 Gaylord Parkway, Frisco TX, 75034. The program and its' administrators have no liability for providing or guaranteeing service or the quality of service rendered. Note to Utah residents. Careington's contract is not protected by the Utah Life and Health Guarantee Association.
