Join group policies
The best way to save money on dental insurance is to join a group policy. You could get together with your friends or colleagues and buy such a plan. Premiums for group plans are lower. However, you need to be sure about the group benefits and all applicable terms and conditions because these plans can be harder to get your head around as compared to conventional plans.
Choose employer sponsored policies
Certain employers sponsor dental policies in addition to general health policies. If your employer offers this facility, make use of it and save money.
Check for interest free dental plans
Some dentists and dental clinics offer interest free plans. These are slightly different from regular insurance. Usually, they are like prepaid policies. Check out the options in this category. They often turn out to be more cost effective than regular plans.
Talk to reliable insurance agents about the cheapest dental insurance
Independent brokers can be a source of lots of useful information. They can even negotiate with different insurers and get you a comprehensive but cheap dental insurance policy.
Choose yearly policies
Policies that charge yearly premiums instead of monthly payments turn out to be cheaper. Although you will have to make a bulk payment, you are free of the responsibility throughout the rest of the year.
Choose policies with the widest dentist network
Several insurance plans offer full coverage only if you visit dentists within their network. Before you buy a policy, check out the list of networks and make sure that your policy has a good spread so that you can avoid out of pocket expenses.
Talk to friends
You could talk about dental policies to friends who have this insurance. The advantage is that in addition to obtaining truthful information about policies, you also get a firsthand feedback on the company’s service.
Understand the UCR fee
UCR stands for Usual, Customary and Reasonable fee guide. Usual fee refers to the base fee charged by a dentist for a specific treatment. Customary fee refers to the actual fee that you pay for a particular procedure. This is decided based on the Usual fee. Benefits you receive from the insurance depend on the customary fee structure. Reasonable fee is the actual fee charged by the dentist if a dental procedure is modified because of complications or other circumstances. The benefits you receive vary based on these costs. You need to understand the cost categories of different insurers and dentists before buying a policy.
Check out options advertised at your dentist’s office
Check out the leaflets or brochures that dental insurance companies leave at dentists’ offices. You can find good offers at discounts through these sources.
Spend some time online
Online policies are cheaper when compared to other options. However, reliability could be an issue. Make it a point to confirm the genuineness of the firm before you purchase from online companies.
With a bit of effort and time, you can find the cheapest dental insurance which is also reliable when it comes to making a claim.