What to Consider Before Selecting or Changing Your Dental Plan in Florida

Selecting or Changing Your Dental Plan in Florida

If you are an employer in Jacksonville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Port St. Lucie, St. Petersburg, Hialeah Cape Coral, Pembroke Pines or any other major city thinking of opting for a different dental plan than the one you currently have, these are some of the questions you should ask before making the switch, according to the American Dental Association.

  • Will your employees have the freedom to choose the dentist that they want?

This is important. If your employees have been seeing a dentist and now have to go to a different one, there is the possibility that the new dentist might prescribe another form of dental treatment for the existing problem, albeit one that is more expensive – this means higher expenses for the insurer which translates into an increased premium for you next year.

  • What kind of dental care is covered under the new plan?

There are several types of dental care. For instance, X-rays are diagnostic in nature, while routine dental care provides for root canal treatment, periodontal disease (such as decaying gums) treatment, fixing of crowns, and oral surgery. Under the umbrella of major dental care, you have orthodontics like dentures and dental implants. Fixed bridges also come under the category of major dental care.

Then there is preventive dental care, such as fluoride treatment and sealants, which can save costs later. You need to check all these, and also what the plan has to say about pre-existing conditions like prostheses that may already be present or missing teeth. You also need to see what it says about emergency dental care – does the plan allow one of your employees to see a dentist if he/she meets with an accident or has a problem at a time when one of the contracted/listed dentists is not available? Or can only empaneled dentists be seen by your employees?

The best plan is one that allows maximum scope for both dental treatments as well the choice of dentist. If the plan you are considering is more restrictive, it might not be a good idea after all.

Sometimes, there are financial limits placed on dental treatment. To ensure that employees get the most from their dental plan, you need to ensure that the administrative costs charged by the insurer are on the lower side.

Also, does the plan cover employees who retire while the plan is in effect? The ADA recommends that recent retirees too be covered as this helps them to continue with their dental treatment. You also need to keep in mind that the Affordable Care Act mandates coverage of dependent children of employees under the age of 26. So this might increase your premium when a larger number of people have to be covered under the plan, even though your existing plan which you signed prior to 2010 may have been covering only your employees till now. If there is a higher premium, will you be footing the bill yourself, or asking your employees to contribute a part of the cost? Depending on the amount they might have to pay, it might not go down well with everyone.

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