Dental Insurance Cost

• Dental insurance premiums for small businesses vary based on the number of employees, their ages and the type of coverage provided. For a California retail store with three full-time employees (52-year-old male, 30-year-old female and 20-year-old male) covered by the policy but with no spouses or children, eHealthInsurance.com^[1] provided more than 100 quotes ranging from $304 a month with a $1,250 deductible and no office visit coverage to a $2,061 monthly premium with a $1,000 deductible and patients paying 20 percent of each office visit. The majority of premium quotes for these three employees ranged from $450-$600 monthly, with deductibles of $500-$3,500 and at least partial coverage of office visits.
• Discount dental plans available to the general public range from $7-$26 a month for individuals and $12.75-$75 monthly for a family, with immediate coverage and little or no deductible, and copays of $5-$45 for exams, cleanings, x-rays or fillings, according to a cost comparison chart compiled by BracesInfo.com^[2] . You must choose a dentist who is in the plan's network, which means you must make sure there really is a network. Dental "plans" are not actually insurance; patients pay a fee to join and then pay discounted charges for services from a participating dentist.

• When getting insurance, key factors to consider are the amount of deductible you must pay out of pocket before the policy kicks in; any limit on total annual benefits; the amount of copayment or percentage you have to cover for office visits, x-rays, cleanings or other services; if there's a "probationary" period before some procedures are covered; and how much freedom you have to choose a particular dentist.

• DentalInsurance.com^[3] and eHealthInsurance.com^[4] offer online quotes for individuals, families and small businesses.
• Check with your state insurance department for a list of registered dental insurance companies in your area. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners provides links to these state offices^[5] as well as a database with financial details and complaint histories for specific companies.

1.  www.ehealthinsurance.com/group-dental-insurance
2.  www.bracesinfo.com/insurance/managed.htm
3.  www.dentalinsurance.com
4.  www.ehealthinsurance.com
5.  www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm

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