As you may already know, dental coverage is not typically coverage, in your basic medicare. Original Medicare (Part A for hospital coverage and Part B for medical coverage) generally does not include routine dental coverage, such as dental exams, cleaning’s, fillings, crowns, and bridges. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule.

You may be able to get dental coverage under some Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) can include extra benefits like routine dental, routine vision, and Medicare prescription drug coverage.

I was searching the benefit and services for the Careington dental discount plans in California and found they have some good options for the dental plan 507. I am not sure how well the plan would work for the Share of Cost Medi-Cal program since the SOC program generally requires dental insurance but the discount plan should work for many others. CareingtonDental.com web site indicates all of the dental service charges are reduced if performed by a participating general dentist.

That would mean you need to select a plan network dentist but I do not see this as a bad thing since a great majority of people without a dental plan do not go to the dentist anyway so what does it matter which dentist you eventually go too? It doesn’t!

A good item was the 20% discount for charges not listed which could be a lot depending on the office you visit. I found some important disclosures and copied them here for your review – Implants and some whitening procedures will not be discounted by all participating carrington providers.

Implants and some whitening procedures will only be discounted if the participating careington provider has agreed to discount these procedures as part of their contract. These services will be offered, when applicable, at a 15% discount off of the provider’s normal fee. If the General Dentist’s normal fee for any procedure is less than the fee listed on this schedule, the dentist will charge 20% off of their normal fee for that procedure

The disclosures as noted indicate this is a discount program and not an insurance plan as noted above. However it could possibly be used as a supplemental dental plan if the dentist goes along with it… Careington cannot guarantee specialty care in all areas. In cases in which you are referred to a participating specialist, you will generally receive 15% to 20% off their usual and customary fees. Please verify such benefits with each individual provider. Work in progress, after joining the plan, must be completed by the provider who started the work. Any procedures performed by a non-participating provider are not included. They cannot guarantee the continued participation of any provider. If he or she leaves the plan, you will need to select another provider. Not all types of providers may be available in your area.

Some providers may charge for missed or broken appointments if no prior notice is given. It is the member’s responsibility to verify that the provider is a participating provider. This plan does not include all procedures which might be provided. Any procedure delivered which is not listed on the Schedule of Services may cause additional cost to be incurred by the member. The dollar amount specified adjacent to each procedure may not be the only cost incurred for a given treatment because the treatment may require more than one procedure. Note to Utah Residents: This contract is not protected by the Utah Life and Health Guaranty Association. The program and the program administrators have no liability for providing or guaranteeing service and have no liability for the quality of service rendered.

I hope this brief review will help you make an informed dental plan decision. I would recommend purchasing it if you can locate a dentist near you in their network.

According to the National Association of Dental Plans, approximately half of the U.S. population does not have an affordable dental plan. The cost for affordable dental insurance can vary. Therefore, it is important to understand all your options in obtaining the most affordable dental plan coverage.

The company where you work may provide the most affordable dental insurance plan options. Dental insurance plans for individual and families are usually an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) or a PPO (Preferred Provided Organization) and operate much like traditional health insurance organizations.

Affordable Dental Plans – HMO

Affordable dental insurance plans from an HMO have a limited pool of dentist to select, but it is a more affordable insurance plan. If you are self employed and looking for a more affordable dental plan, a discount dental plan may be an alternative.

Discount dental plans are not dental insurance plans. A discount plan partners with dentists to provide customers with a savings on visits to the dentist office. The downside to discount dental plans is that they are not regulated and you have limited recourse if you experience dental plan problems.

Affordable Dental Plans – Where to Buy

You can obtain quotes for more affordable dental insurance plans from companies online and through your local insurance agent or broker. Please keep in mind that there are many web sites who give the appearance of selling dental insurance but instead only offer a dental discount plan which is not insurance.

Your dentist may also have affordable dental plan options available to patients. Ask the receptionist if they partner with a dental plan company and see if one might be right for you.

Affordable Dental Plans – Other Alternatives

If you belong to a professional association, you might be eligible for a dental insurance or discount dental plan. Many associations partner with a PPO to provide their members with dental plans that offer very comprehensive insurance coverage at more affordable prices.

Finally, dental schools may offer affordable dental services. Dental schools seem to be safe, but can be inconvenient and treatment for one problem may have to be addressed in multiple office visits.

On ShareofCost.com you can learn about and buy an individual, couple and family dental insurance plans that fits your personal needs. Some of our dental insurance plans require you to stay within a network of dental care providers. Where as other of our dental plan options will let you choose your own dentist or go out side their provider list. The premiums may be a bit higher for this type of plan and you may have to pay more at the time of service depending on how your dentist files claims.

With more and more studies showing links to poor oral health and over all health care issue it is important to maintain your oral and dental care health. Seniors may need to see their dentist more then just twice a year if advised by their dentist in order to properly maintain their dental healthcare needs.

However with the rising cost of dental care many seniors tend to put off their dental care needs. One why to address the cost factor is by having dental insurance. There are many different types of dental insurance plans that can address different needs. One this website we offer Affordable low cost dental insurance plans such as HMO and or dental discount plans. Both of these plan types will make dental care much more affordable at a low month cost.

For people that wish to stay with or choose their own dental provider we also offer dental PPO plans such as Dental Dental, StandardLife Dental and Madison Dental   to name a few. Take a moment to review our dental insurance and plan options and see which may be the best fit for your dental needs and your budget.

As you age it is important to maintain your oral and dental health. Yet many seniors do not maintain seeing a dentist regularly due to cost factors. However, there are many good HMO dental insurance plans that are low cost plans that greatly reduce the cost of having dental services therefore making it affordable to maintain your dental health care needs. On this website we provide many affordable dental insurance plans. We are always happy to help you if you should have any questions about our dental insurance plans just call member services at 310-534-3444 M-F 8-4.

Seniors can find affordable dental insurance in CA, on our ShareofCost.com website. Cost of living can be rather high in California, with dental care cost continuing being on the rise it is important to have current dental insurance to help control your dental care costs. Let our member services help you with our dental insurance plans if you have any questions just call 310-534-3444.

Dentist participation in Medicaid has been a persistent problem, with fewer than one in four dentists nationwide seeing more than a handful of Medicaid patients in any given year. The most common reason dentists give for their low participation is inadequate reimbursement for the cost of treating Medicaid beneficiaries.

Beginning in the late 1990s, several states greatly increased Medicaid rates for dentists, while also overhauling administrative processes and working to forge stronger ties with dental practitioners and other stakeholders in the field. This issue brief examines the results of those reforms and whether the efforts at better administration and outreach mattered as much as the rate increases in improving access to Medicaid dental care. Those findings are also compared with information on provider rates and participation in California.

The research indicates that while increases in provider payments were necessary to the success of the states’ reform efforts, they were not sufficient to produce substantial gains in either dentist participation or patients’ access to care. The authors conclude that in addition to raising reimbursement rates, Medicaid agencies must also revamp their administrative procedures and build partnerships with dental societies.

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Question: Who do I call for an over charging dentist that lied about my insurance paying?

If you have a PPO or Indemnity Plan: Since these are plans where you can go outside of network or choose your own dentist the insurance company is out of the lope. Even though a dentist may call on coverages, it is up to you to make sure you are covered. You can do this by submitting a quote only to the claims department before the work is started or you can call. Many PPOs or Indemnity Plans pay based on % up to ACV/UCR so even though you may have coverage if your dentist is above the ACV/UCR you can get hit by a big bill. (that is why I advise to submit claims as quotes before the work is started. This helps you know what is your true cost for any procedure)

If you have an HMO: HMOs are different in that you have to go with their providers. Cost for procedures are normally fee based. Meaning that the dentist will charge based on the fees laid out to them under the plan. Therefore if you feel your dentist lied to you about your coverage I would start by calling the insurance company. Telling them what you had done (need ADA codes) and finding out your true cost. If they did a procedure that was not covered and told you it was then at least the insurance company will then be aware of this. They do not want their dentist doing such stuff to their Insured and to many complaints will have them removed from the program.

There is as you mention the better business, but there is also the America Dentist Asso. ADA. Most states have there own ADA web site.

You can also find web sites that you can leave a blogs about the dentist you went to this will help others in not going to them. I sell dental insurance and dental plans so I have clients that tell me they google,yahoo, bing ect the dental office before choosing a dentist. I am just not sure how much effort you want to put into this.

Question: I am 70 with most of my teeth. I do not have dental insurance and I am finding that I can not afford to maintain my dental care without some dental insurance. However I can not seem to find affordable dental insurance. All the plans I seen are $50 plus a month this is just to much for me.

Reply: I would suggest reviewing dental HMO insurance plans. You seem to have only reviewed dental PPO plans. Although PPO plans are good dental insurance plan that let you choose your own dentist they can be costly for seniors. Dental HMO insurance plans however run around $10 to $20 a month for an individual and they greatly reduce the cost of dental care services.

Seniors can find affordable dental insurance in CA, on our ShareofCost.com website. Cost of living can be rather high in California, with dental care cost continuing being on the rise it is important to have current dental insurance to help control your dental care costs. Let our member services help you with our dental insurance plans if you have any questions just call 310-534-3444.

Question: Is there any requirement to get dental insurance in the state of California. I really need so dental care but I do not want to wait forever to be approved.

Answer: Most off are dental insurance plans start the first of next month depending on the enrollment cut off. (Example: plan starts the first of next month if order by the 20th of this month.) You will also see we provide a few dental discount plans that start the next business day from placing your order on line. Yet is is important to understand that some dental insurance plans may of waiting periods before certain benefits are effective so make sure you read each plans terms and conditions before choosing one.

Dental insurance benefits vary depending on the type of dental insurance plan. When reviewing the benefits of dental insurance especially when selecting a dental insurance plan, keep in mind there are various policy coverage options, dental plan deductibles, co-payments, limitations, restrictions and exclusions.

It is extremely important that you read the list of benefits provided by the dental insurance provider and be sure you are getting a dental insurance plan if that is what you wanted to purchase.

A reminder discount dental plans are not dental insurance plans. A discount plan partners with specific dentists to provide customers with a savings on visits to the dentist office much the same as dental insurance. The downside to discount dental plans is that they are not regulated and you have limited recourse if you experience dental problems.

A common question for seniors after they settle their Medicare Supplemental Insurance and Medicare Part D coverage is what about dental? Unfortunately Medicare has no dental insurance coverage.

Yet you still have some low cost dental insurance options, such as dental HMO insurance plans and dental discount plans. On this website we provide both options in most states. We are always happy to assist you with any of our dental insurance and dental plan options. So please call our member services at 310-534-3444 M-F 8-4 if you have any questions.

Get an instant quote for many different dental insurance plans in order to compare and shop out the best dental insurance plans for your own dental care needs. When shopping out dental insurance plans it best to compare many dental insurance plan options so that you can choose the plan that will best fit your personal dental care needs. Not all dental insurance plans are the same. Some start right away with no waiting periods where other let you pick or choose your own dentist. If you have any questions about the dental insurance plan options we provide please call our member services at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help.

Share of Cost California Dental Plan Review — The Dental Health Services Super SmartSmile HMO Dental Plan. As the subscriber, you may enroll yourself, your spouse (unless legally separated) or your domestic partner, and/or unmarried dependent children who are under 19 years of age. Children 19 years of age and over are eligible if:

The child is unmarried and a full-time student solely dependent upon subscriber for support, and is under 23 years of age; or the child is and continues to be both (1) incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of a mental disability, including but not limited to, mental illness or a physical disability or a combination of those disabilities and (2) chiefly dependent upon the subscriber or member for support and maintenance. There are no deductibles and no yearly limits on most services, and there are no claim forms to fill out. Your savings are in place when you visit network dentist. You just show up for your dental appointment and make your copayment – what could be easier? The dentists must meet the Plan’s standard of quality and service.

All have agreed to provide dental care at a low cost available only to its members. There is no waiting period for your dental services to begin, many pre-existing dental conditions are covered and best of all, the dental plan services start the first day of next month if the company receives your mail-in application by the 10th of this month. Review the sample schedule below and see how easy it is for you or your entire family to enjoy these quality dental services.