If you were to ask any dental insurance provider operating in California, what dental insurance is the best, they would likely tell you theirs is.
And, if you asked any of your friends and coworkers that same question, those who are happy with their dentist and their copays and premiums would likely tell you that the plan they have is the best. And, for them, that is probably true.
So, the question remains: for you, and possibly your family, what is the best dental insurance in California?
The Seemingly Heavy Burden Of Dental Insurance
Almost no one likes having to pay for insurance.
In California, you cannot drive your car without having auto insurance. If you’re married, you should have life insurance. If you have your own business… insurance on top of insurance. Then there’s health coverage. More insurance. And some folks even have health insurance for their pets!
But the fact is that dental insurance, in most people’s situations, makes far better economic sense than going without.
Unlike health insurance in California, dental insurance is not mandated. However, having no insurance when you’re facing an unexpected root canal or implant can be financially crippling.
Or not.
Unlike home insurance or health insurance, coverage that can be invaluable for “worst-case scenarios,” even a really bad dental scenario may end up costing you less if you paid for everything yourself than with insurance.
When you factor in copays, cost share, and your monthly or annual premium, there are potentially times when it can be financially preferable to go without dental insurance. But keep in mind that this is only true for a minority of Californians. Most of us don’t have perfectly healthy teeth and a healthy diet and lifestyle to support them.
In fact, most of us have genetic tendencies with dental issues, we have aging teeth (Seniors know this!), and we don’t take care of our teeth like we should. Consequently, we can routinely need dental work that goes beyond x-rays, cleanings, and regular checkups – things that may cost us less out-of-pocket each year than our insurance premium.
In other words, if you are young, healthy, and have great teeth, then you likely only need the standard cleanings, exams, and X-rays that make up good preventive care. Which means you could possibly spend money by having dental insurance.
For most others, however, this is usually not the case.
According to an article at Investopedia,
“Older adults represent a group that may find it worthwhile to enroll in a dental insurance plan. Dental insurance for seniors is similar to plans for other individuals but focuses on the types of coverage that seniors may need. These include crowns, root canals, dentures, and tooth replacements. Even though these coverages are not unique to older individuals, there is a higher probability that seniors will need one or more of these procedures.”
How To Determine The Best Dental Insurance For You
When it comes to good dental insurance plans, the truth is that California has several great providers offering coverage to residents in the state.
Details and specifics vary from provider to provider and from plan to plan. However, so do the dental coverage needs of individuals. And those needs change over time as we age, or get married, have children to cover, and so on.
So, another question we can ask is, “What are the best dental insurance providers in California?”
Let’s look at the top four:
1. Humana
Humana offers a variety of dental insurance options, three with no waiting period, along with affordable premiums, low deductibles, and a large network of providers.
According to Investopedia,
“Not only does health insurance provider Humana offer no waiting periods with three of its six dental plans, but the options and benefits available are also some of the best in the industry. Those who want coverage to begin immediately can choose from a PPO, a HMO plan, or a dental discount plan with some of the lowest premiums we were able to find from any provider.”
2. Guardian Direct
Guardian Direct dental insurance provides several levels of dental coverage for individuals and families. These plans allow members to obtain routine dental care from a network of over 100,000 dentists. Guardian Direct offers three tiers of dental plans to cover a variety of needs and budgets: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
One comparison review noted,
“Guardian Direct® Dental Insurance and Delta Dental Insurance are very close in quality and have the same overall rating. That said, Guardian Direct scores better than Delta Dental across: Coverage, Benefit Limits, Plan Options, and In-Network Dentists. Whereas, Delta Dental scores better on Waiting Period. Both companies score similarly on Availability, and Pricing.”
3. Delta Dental
As the largest dental insurer in the United States, Delta Dental and its 39 independent companies offer comprehensive dental coverage in all states, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories. The firm’s network includes over 150,000 participating dentists nationwide, serving more than 80 million customers.
Delta Dental offers HMO and PPO plans as well as managed fee-for-service and discount options.
According to MarketWatch, Delta Dental’s advantages include,
- Extensive network of more than 150,000 providers
- Discount plans: Customers can choose from participating dentists offering discounted fees
- 4/5 stars based on 495 ratings in the past year on ConsumerAffairs
- A (excellent) financial strength rating from AM Best
4. Principal
Dental coverage from Principal is available through employer-provided plans. Principal offers a wide variety of dental insurance plans, and the type of plan offered to employees depends on the contract their employer signs with them. Many of the plans follow similar structure, but each plan has specific conditions and exclusions not found in any other.
A testimonial from one of Principal’s dental providers sums up their experience well,
“Having Principal Dental can provide you with a maximum benefit per year that is reasonable and does not limit you to the most minimal of treatments to get you by. With a $1500-$2000 calendar benefit, this allows our patients to complete more dental treatment than they would be able with some other plans.
We have found Principal Dental to be very reasonable with the dental benefits they provide and usually very straightforward. Having the typical 100% coverage for Preventative, and 80% coverage for the Restorative group, and 50% for the Major services allows our patients to fully utilize their benefits without all the financial burden on themselves.”
Looking For The Best Dental Insurance In California? We Can Help!
J.C. Lewis Insurance – a local, family-owned firm based in Sonoma County since 1979 – is made up of a team of expert brokers offering individual and family dental insurance plans.
We also provide small business and individual health insurance plans from only the leading health insurance carriers that are licensed to do business in California.
In addition to being experienced, professional brokers, we are licensed and certified by each of these insurance carriers to offer coverage to individuals, families, and small group employers in addition to Medicare supplemental and prescription drug plans for seniors.
When you’re looking for vision, dental, or health insurance for you and your family, for your employees, you are likely to have several questions and concerns.
At J.C. Lewis Insurance Services we are here to provide answers to your questions about insurance coverage and you can be confident that we will help you find the right solution.
