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California regulators are going after dental health plans that claim to offer big benefits but deliver very little.
There have been over 150 consumer complaints in California about these plans over the last four years. Though the state requires discount dental plans to be licensed, enforcement has been spotty. The state is now seeking new licensing requirements.
It is estimated that some 6 million Californians have a discount health or dental plan. Some of these discount dental plans have advertised themselves as dental insurance rather than just a discount plan.
Several years ago, California ordered Care Entrée to stop offering dental coverage in the state. Though members were promised unrestricted access to providers, the state found that claim "illusory." The state also found that the company's advertising implied they were offering an affordable dental insurance product.
As a dentist, I'm sure you understand dental insurance… but clearly a lot of consumers don't!
Read more: California cracks down on discount health plans
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February 10th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
There are many excellent discount dental plans. AmeriPlan USA is one such plan. They have a A rating with the Better Business Bureau in Dallas, Tx. are members of the National Association of Dental Plans, and the Consumer Health Alliance. I think there is a need in the marketplace for Consumer Driven Healthcare and the discount programs can offer the client an inexpensive alternative to insurance and in many cases save the client money. What AmeriPlan has done is contract with individual dentists to follow a fee schedule and discount services. A root canal or crown with a discount plan may offer the client greater savings with no limits on services and no waiting periods. So as long as they are not misrepresenting themselves, discount dental plans do serve a need. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to better understand our programs. We refer alot of clients to dentists that they might not have had and in todays ecomony that is a good thing. My phone number is on my website.
March 1st, 2010 at 10:08 am
It is true that discount dental plans differ from that of insurance but they still prove to be a viable alternative for obtaining low cost dental care during these tough economical times. Many are forced to forfeit their dental care due to costly insurance premiums and end up compromising the well-being of their household. At least, with a discount dental plan, everyone has the ability to receive instant on-the-spot dental savings. It is programs such as these that prove to be a huge asset to those of us who are struggling just to meet our needs.
May 24th, 2010 at 9:30 am
I’ve been looking at some college websites and dentistry isn’t just there. I don’t know what it would be under either? Maybe some health science for health class?
June 21st, 2010 at 4:56 am
Actually, dental insurance is NOT dental insurance. Had or know someone who had a car accident lately, perhaps a house that burned down, a major medical illness? With insurance, I would imagine that thousands if not hundreds of thousands were paid in benefits. The insurance model, as most consumers see it, covers major adverse risk not minor ones. Most insurance policies have deductibles so that we do not report minor claims. Dental ‘insurance’ works exactly the opposite. Minor routine visits are paid at 100%. They pay a lower percentage as things get worse (filings at 80% crowns at 50% implants (still in many policies) at 0%). And, for any work above $1500, there is no coverage at all.
In my opinion, selling these policies as dental ‘insurance’ is, at best, misleading if not borderline fraudulent.