For people on Medicaid the question is “Does Medicaid cover dental?”
A good set of teeth is a wonderful thing to have. It makes eating a breeze and improves your appearance in ways even thousands of dollars worth of wardrobe can’t match. Of course, healthy teeth are not the easiest things to get – and to keep. Regular, almost fanatical oral hygiene is a requirement for a pleasant smile. And while everybody wants healthy teeth, actually affording dental care can be a costly thing to do. Even people who are insured and can afford professional dental care are seldom happy with the bills acquired at the dentist’s office. Even with insurance, it can hurt, and for the uninsured or under insured, the prospect of needing serious dental care can be frightening to even contemplate, be it losing a tooth or needing a root canal.
So, does Medicaid cover dental? Unfortunately, in most cases, it doesn’t. However, states are required by law to provide children on Medicaid with dental care. All states are required to provide Medicaid to children at a certain income level and must minimally include dental services for children that provide relief from pain and infections, the restoration of teeth and proper maintenance of dental health. However, this often requires the referral of an actual dentist as being medically necessary, meaning that while a cavity will be covered, cosmetic dentistry such as tooth whitening isn’t. Preventative dental care, such as oral healthcare and tooth sealing is also available for children in Medicaid. While it can be a complex maze to navigate, children can get dental healthcare under Medicaid.
Still, does Medicaid cover dental for adults? That is a decision left up to the individual states to decide. Most, though not all, states provide at least emergency dental benefits for adults, but less than half of the states provide genuinely comprehensive dental care under Medicaid. With this in mind, it makes sense for adults to look into alternate means of getting the dental care they need.
Dental Insurance
Dental insurance is available and works like most forms of insurance. Like health insurance, there are indemnity plans and managed-care plans. The difference between the two are the choice of dental care providers, out of pocket costs and the means by which the bills are actually paid.
Dental insurance can be costly and the benefits are limited.
Indemnity Plans
Indemnity plans offer a wider selection of providers and pay their costs for covered services when they receive the bill, meaning the patient will likely need to pay up front and then obtain a reimbursement from the insurer. Managed care plans typically provide a network of dental care providers who participate in the network and have agreed to perform services for insured patients at pre-negotiated rates and usually make the requests to the insurance company for you.
Overall, this means less paperwork and lower out of pocket costs to the patient, but at the cost of a less broad selection of dentists.
Discount Dental Plans
Discount dental plans, such as AmeriPlan, are a type of managed care plan, where paying for a plan for dental benefits allows you to save money when getting your dental care done at a dentist who is a part of the dental plan provider’s network of professionals.
The discount dental plan’s administrator has negotiated deep discounts with provider dental offices so the members don’t have to haggle. They just prevent their discount dental plan card (in this case, AmeriPlan Dental Plus) and the discount is immediately applied.
No waiting period, no exclusions (except for orthodontic treatments in progress) and no paperwork. Deep discounts are pre-arranged with participating dentists (over 75,000 and counting). You can click this link to find a dentist in your area who is an AmeriPLan member – http://providersearch.ameriplanusa.com/corpform.aspx?cat=5
Take a few moments to find out more about the AmeriPlan healthcare and dental care discounts by clicking HERE. We think you’ll be amazed at the cost savings, the fact that we cover your whole household, and that pre-existing conditions are welcomed!
AmeriPlan discount health and dental plans are designed to save you money while providing the health and dental care you and your family needs. Get started now and you’ll be amazed at the level of medical and dental services and the low cost.
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