Dental Insurance Articles
How To Access Dental Insurance Quotes For Root Canal Surgery
2010-06-27
Dental insurance quotes typically fall into three different types of plans: indemnity plans, network plans and discount plans. If you are looking for coverage information about a specific procedure, such as root canal surgery, you first need to understand the type of plan described in the quote.
Indemnity plans generally pay a percentage of the costs of root canal surgery after you have met an annual deductible. The percentage to be paid as a benefit varies by plan, but often is either 50 or 80 percent. Annual deductibles also vary; however, typical deductibles are in the range of $100 to $500. This is the amount that you will have to pay out-of-pocket before the insurance company will begin to pay benefits to you.
Network plans will usually cover the entire cost of root canal surgery, except for a co-pay amount that will be your responsibility. The co-pay for root canal surgery will vary by plan. For some plans, it may be as low as $100; for other plans, the co-pay may be as much as 50 percent of the actual cost of the procedure. Network plans may also limit you to only those dentists on an approved list or may impose a higher co-pay if you choose a dentist who is outside the network.
Discount plans, while not technically insurance, offer you a list of dentists who have agreed to provide services to you at a discounted price. Under a discount plan, the percentage of the discount for root canal surgery will often vary from dentist to dentist on the list. The discounts may be as low as 10 percent or as high as 50 percent off the actual cost of the procedure.
Some plans are actually combinations of either an indemnity and a discount plan, or a network and discount plan. In these cases, basic services such as routine examinations and fillings are covered by the indemnity or network method; however, other services such as root canal surgery will be offered only on a discounted basis.
When requesting dental insurance quotes, make certain to read the plan descriptions carefully. Most quotes will provide specific benefit information for all of the common dental procedures, including root canal surgery. If the information is not clearly provided as part of the quote, ask a follow-up question about how root canal surgery is covered under the plan. Do not purchase a plan until you are clear about how benefits will be paid to you, or the exact discount amount that the plan guarantees, for root canal surgery. Knowing this information upfront will allow you to make the best possible decision if and when you need such a dental procedure.