If you are looking for a dental health plan that doesn't come with a lot of rules - and also doesn't break the bank - a dental PPO insurance plan might be perfect for you. And, because it's one of the most popular dental insurance options, most of the good companies offer an affordable PPO dental plan.
When you get a dental HMO plan, you might be able to pay a little less each month for dental insurance - but those extra savings come with some strings attached. Under a dental PPO plan, you will be restricted to a list of approved providers (hence the name: Prefered Provider Organization). However, that's basically the only "rule" you'll have to comply with. You won't need things like pre-authorization or specialist referrals like you do with a dental HMO.
You should consider that approved list of providers to be a good thing. In order to get on
the list, dentists have to agree to lower their fees. In exchange for charging less, dentists
get the exposure of being on a dental PPO list - which gives them business in bulk.
Since the insurance company will now pay less whenever you get your teeth cleaned, have an x-ray taken, or get a cavity filled, it's saving money - and the good ones will pass those savings onto you. The end result? Affordable dental coverage that comes with lower monthly premiums than you would have to pay elsewhere.
Subpar dental insurance may come with lower premium payments - but expenses can sneak up on you if you have high deductibles to meet. When you get a good PPO dental plan, you don't have to worry about high deductibles. That's because a quality PPO policy will only have deductibles around $50 for each family member - about half of what a routine cleaning would cost! It won't take long to meet the deductibles on a good PPO dental health plan, so you'll have faster access to your full benefits.
Unlike HMO's, a PPO dental health plan will cover you - albeit at reduced rates - even if you go to an out-of-network dentist. That way, if an emergency pops up and you can't find an approved dentist, you won't be out of luck.