Affordable Dental Savings Plan

Are you being tricked into half?

Imagine joining a car wash club where you pay a monthly fee to keep your car clean—but you're only allowed to wash half of it each visit. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

Or imagine subscribing to a streaming service that lets you watch only half of your favorite movie today. If you want to see the ending, you'll have to come back another day. Would anyone willingly sign up for that?

As absurd as those examples sound, if you have dental insurance, you may already be participating in this absurdity.

Here's an example.

Suppose you have advanced gum disease, and your dentist recommends a deep cleaning to help save your teeth. In many cases, your dental insurance company will only approve treatment for half of your mouth at one appointment. To complete the other half, you'll have to schedule a second visit.

Why? There is generally no medical reason the procedure cannot be completed in a single appointment if your dentist determines it is appropriate. Splitting the treatment into two visits is less convenient for you and requires additional time away from work or family. It also increases costs for the dental office, which must prepare the treatment room, sterilize instruments, and complete check-in and check-out procedures twice.

So why would an insurance company require it?

One reason is economics. Insurance companies understand that a percentage of patients will never return for the second appointment. When treatment isn't completed, the company pays less.

This is just one example of how insurance policies can be designed to control costs rather than to maximize patient convenience or encourage completion of recommended care.

Dental insurance is often marketed as a benefit that protects your oral health.  While insurance can certainly help offset some dental expenses, its decisions are not always based solely on what is best for the patient.

The next time your treatment is delayed, divided into multiple visits, or limited by your insurance plan, ask yourself these questions when trying to figure out how to save money on dental care:

Is this decision being made for my health—or for the insurance company's bottom line?  

Maybe our dental membership plan might be a better option for dental care without insurance.