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Union Dental Plans - What Types of Union Dental Plans are Available?

Like many employers, unions are constantly looking for ways to offer their members the best dental health care coverage for the most cost efficient price. Dental care plans generally fall into three categories - traditional dental insurance, managed dental care plans and discount dental plans.

Traditional Dental Insurance

Many people are familiar with traditional dental insurance. This type of dental care plan requires payment of monthly premiums and an annual deductible is usually applied to services provided to the covered member or their family. Unions frequently offer traditional dental insurance plans to their members.

Traditional dental insurance plans offer the ability to use the services of any dentist for routine dental care services such as teeth cleaning provided by a dental hygienist , x-rays and fillings. Reimbursement rates may be limited for these services and popular dental services such as cosmetic dentistry and orthodontic services may not be included as part of the plan.

One of the large disadvantages with traditional dental insurance is that many dentists no longer accept direct payment from dental insurance companies, instead leaving it to their patients to file the paperwork for claims and requiring patients to pay in full for services at the time they are received.

Managed Dental Care Plans

Another type of union dental plan that is offered is the managed dental care plan . This plan is similar to managed health plans in that there is a list of plan providers to choose from, and members are required to pay a set copay at the time of each visit to the dentist or dental care provider. There are no claim forms to complete, but reimbursement for certain services may be limited and there may also be an annual deductible applied to dental services. Dental care provided by a non-provider or out-of-network dentist may be reimbursed at a significantly lower rate or not be reimbursed at all.

Discount Dental Plans

One of the dental care plans that are growing in popularity is discount dental plans . Union members may find this type of union dental plan very attractive because of the flexibility of services that are covered and the additional health service discounts that may be available.

Unlike dental insurance, dental discount plans require no application or monthly premiums. There are no annual deductibles. Instead plan rates are applied as an annual flat-rate fee. Members are given a list of providers that includes general dentists, family dentists , cosmetic dentistry specialists and orthodontists . Covered services include teeth whitening procedures, veneers, dental implants and other popular procedures. Additionally, orthodontic services that include braces are also included.

Providers included on the discount list accept negotiated rates that are stated up front for their services. Other discounts are also usually available with discount plans that include vision, chiropractic and other alternative health care services not usually included with insurance plans.

Summary

Unions offer their members many choices for their dental care needs. The options usually include a traditional dental insurance plan, managed dental care plans and discount dental plans.