Question: Can you combine dental discount plans?

Reply: You can not combine two dental discount plans together to get extra savings. Dental discount plans are not insurance the dentist that are providers of a discount plan are reducing their cost to you as a plan member so typically they are not going to double discount you.

You may however be able to use a discount plan if you have a dental PPO insurance plan. You would not be really combining the two but since PPO’s plan typically have a max limitation generally ranging from $1000.00 – $2000.00 per person per year if you go over your max limitation but still need additional work during the same year a discount plan would be able to reduce the cost for the additional work not covered by your plan. This would only work a course if the dentist is a provider of the Discount as well as willing to accept you using insurance and a plan in such a manner. make sure to verify that before buying one.

Question: Does it make sense to have two dental insurance plans?

Reply: Having dual coverage (two dental insurance plans) doesn’t double your benefits, but you might pay less for dental procedures than if you were covered under just one plan because treatment costs may be shared between your two carriers.

However, you will need to do your homework before just buying any two dental insurance plans. Both plans would need to be able to be coordinated, such as two PPO’s but an HMO will not coordinate with any other dental insurance plan type. You want to make sure you do the math. The cost of the plans and benefits counting any limitations the plans may have to make sure you are in fact saving money on your dental care and not just over spending money on insurance

Although there are many links to dental health and your overall health care and wellness, too many Americans still avoid going to the dentist regurally. Like other kinds of health care services, dental procedures can be expensive – and it’s that cost deters many from getting the care they need. That’s why dental insurance is so important.

Dental insurance will help reduce your dental care cost greatly. As most dental insurance plans provide free to little cost preventive care services. By maintaining your dental health at home and seeing your dentist regularly for your preventive care needs it will help you to void having more costly and larger care service

Getting rid of the Share of Cost requirement in Medi-Cal involves meeting the necessary conditions to eliminate or reduce this financial obligation. It’s important to note that Share of Cost is specific to Medi-Cal and is not directly related to purchasing health insurance. Instead, it’s about demonstrating that your medical expenses are high enough to fulfill the Share of Cost amount, thus making you eligible for full Medi-Cal coverage.

Here are some key points to consider:

1. Meeting the Share of Cost: To eliminate the Share of Cost requirement for a particular month, you need to ensure that your medical expenses exceed the specified Share of Cost amount for that month. Once you have paid medical expenses equal to or higher than the Share of Cost, your Share of Cost for that month is considered met, and you become eligible for full Medi-Cal coverage for the remainder of that month.
2. Approved Dental Plan and Share of Cost: While Medi-Cal covers various medical services, dental services are handled separately through the Medi-Cal Dental Program. Approved dental plans or dental services alone generally do not count towards meeting your Share of Cost for general medical services. Dental services under Medi-Cal Dental Program have their own set of rules and coverage.
3. Regular Medical Expenses: The Share of Cost is often met by regular medical expenses such as doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital stays, and other covered medical services. These expenses need to accumulate throughout the month until they reach or exceed the Share of Cost amount.
4. Income and Deductions: The Share of Cost amount is determined based on your income and certain allowable deductions. If your financial situation changes, your Share of Cost might also change.
5. Reporting and Documentation: Keeping accurate records of your medical expenses and submitting the necessary documentation to Medi-Cal is crucial for the Share of Cost process. This documentation helps demonstrate that you have met the requirement.
6. Renewal and Recalculation: Share of Cost is recalculated periodically, often during annual reviews or when there are changes in your financial situation. Ensuring your information is up to date is important.

It’s important to check with your local Medi-Cal office or their official resources for the most accurate and current information about Share of Cost requirements, eligible expenses, and how to meet them. If you’re looking to reduce or eliminate your Share of Cost, consider consulting with a Medi-Cal representative to understand the specific rules and procedures that apply to your situation. ShareOfCost.com has an alternative approved dental health care plan to meet the spend down requirements.

According to studies done, they have indicated that mothers with high levels of certain oral bacteria were found to have children with similarly high levels of bacteria, along with a higher risk of tooth decay.

What is Share of Cost (SOC)?

Share of Cost (SOC) is a financial obligation that individuals must meet before they become eligible to receive benefits under certain government assistance programs, particularly Medi-Cal in California. It is somewhat analogous to an insurance deductible in private health insurance plans. The purpose of SOC is to ensure that individuals with higher incomes but still facing significant medical expenses receive necessary assistance while also sharing in the costs of their care.

How Does Share of Cost Work?

1. Calculation: The Share of Cost amount is calculated based on the individual’s income, allowable medical expenses, and family size. It is determined on a monthly basis and can vary from person to person.
2. Monthly Obligation: Once the Share of Cost amount is determined, the individual must pay that amount out of their own pocket towards their medical expenses each month.
3. Eligibility for Medi-Cal: Once the individual’s medical expenses exceed the Share of Cost amount for that month, they are considered to have “met” their Share of Cost for that month. At this point, they become eligible for full Medi-Cal coverage for the remainder of the month.
4. Coverage Period: The Share of Cost and eligibility cycle resets at the beginning of each month. Any medical expenses paid in excess of the Share of Cost in a month do not carry over to the next month.

Example:

Let’s say an individual has a Share of Cost of $200. This means they need to pay the first $200 of their medical expenses themselves each month. Once they have paid $200 out of pocket, their Share of Cost for that month is considered met, and Medi-Cal coverage becomes effective, covering the remaining eligible medical expenses for that month.

Key Points:

• Share of Cost bridges the gap between having higher income levels and still needing financial assistance with medical expenses.
• It ensures that individuals are actively participating in sharing the costs of their healthcare.
• SOC applies to a wide range of medical services, from doctor visits to prescriptions to hospital stays.
• It’s important to keep track of medical expenses and ensure they exceed the Share of Cost to activate full Medi-Cal coverage for the month.
• The Share of Cost amount varies based on individual circumstances and is recalculated regularly.

In summary, Share of Cost is a mechanism used to determine an individual’s financial participation in their healthcare expenses before becoming eligible for full Medi-Cal coverage. It aims to strike a balance between affordability for the individual and sharing the costs of healthcare. Find out how ShareOfCost.com can help you meet your spend down needs for the California Share

Inflammation associated with periodontal disease has a high potential to contribute to coronary artery disease. Good oral health can lower that risk.

Did you know that, Periodontal infections ( Gum Disease ) contribute to problems with glycemic control, which compromises the health of diabetic patients.

Our website lets you compare multiple dental insurance plan from lower cost plans HMO insurance plans and dental discount plans. As well as Dental PPO’s and Free choice of providers plans called indemnity dental insurance plans. Not only do we provide different plan types depending on the state you are in but we provide our dental plan and insurance options though may different companies. Letting you comparison shop several plans at once. to review the dental insurance and plan options that are available to you in your area just enter your zip code in the quote box provided.

Dental discount plans are a low cost alternative to dental insurance. With a dental discount plan cost can normally run around $7.95 – $9.95 a month for an individual and $9.95 – $15.00 a month for families. These low cost discount plans provide saving off of all your dental care needs done by a plan provider. There are no savings for dentist that are not providers of the plan so making sure there is a dentist in the dental discount plan you may want to have is very important. Check our all our dental discount plan options along with our dental insurance plans and choose which may best fit your dental care needs.

Dental Insurance and Bitewing: Radiographs Bitewing X-rays are often used by dentist during your dental check up. Without dental insurance these types of X-rays can run between $50.00 – $100.00. However, most dental insurance plans provide this dental service for little to no cost. In addition to also provide little to no cost check ups and basic cleaning. Make sure you are not spending more money then you need to by having current dental insurance.

The World Health Organization recommends sugar intake should be halved to combat dental cavities

In the US, around 92% of adults aged 20-64 have experienced dental cavities/tooth decay, in at least one of their permanent teeth. To tackle the growing problem of tooth decay, researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, both in the UK, say the World Health Organization’s recommendation of a maximum of 10% total daily calories from free sugar should be reduced to 5%, with 3% as a target.

Dental services needs to improve among US women of childbearing age

Oral diseases can be prevented or improved with regular dental visits. The objective of this study was to assess and compare national estimates on self-reported oral health conditions and dental visits among pregnant women and non-pregnant women of childbearing age by using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Severe Periodontitis is the Sixth Most Prevalent Health Condition in the World

The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published a paper titled “Global Burden of Periodontitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression. In 2010, severe periodontitis was the sixth most prevalent condition in the world affecting 743 million people worldwide. Between 1990 and 2010, the global age-standardized prevalence of severe periodontitis was static at 11.2%. The age-standardized incidence of severe periodontitis in 2010 was 701 cases per 100,000 person-years, a non-significant increase from the 1990 incidence of severe periodontitis. Prevalence increased gradually with age showing a steep increase between the third and fourth decades of life that was driven by a peak in incidence at around 38 years of age. There were considerable variations in prevalence and incidence between regions and countries.

Support caregivers to improve oral health of adults with developmental disabilities

Boston: Despite a policy focus on expanding access to care for adults with developmental disabilities, this vulnerable population continues to have significant dental disease.

In the October 2014 issue of The Journal of the Dental Association, researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine report on the first large-scale survey to investigate factors influencing at-home oral care provided by caregivers to adults with developmental disabilities. The study findings suggest that, in addition to addressing access to care, policy initiatives must improve support for caregivers.

Dental Care and Heart Disease

Perhaps more well established is the association between dental hygiene and heart disease. In 2008, MNT reported on research from joint teams at the University of Bristol in the UK and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, who found that people with bleeding gums from poor dental hygiene could be increasing their risk of heart disease.