Types of Dental Plans

With so many dental benefit plans available to patients today, it’s important to learn the differences between them. Some plans require your dental practice to be part of a network, others limit maximum charges and many have set fees for specific services.

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
1. A PPO plan is regular indemnity insurance combined with a network of dentists under contract to the insurance company to deliver specified services for set fees and according to the provisions of the contract. Contracted dentists must usually accept the maximum allowable fee as dictated by the plan, but non-contracted dentists may have fees either higher or lower than the plan allowance.

Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMO)
1. Under a DHMO or capitation plan, contracted dentists are “pre-paid” a certain amount each month for each patient that has been designated or assigned to that dentist. Dentists must then provide certain contracted services at no-cost or reduced cost to those patients. The plan usually does not reimburse the dentist or patient for individual services and therefore patients must generally receive treatment at a contracted office in order to receive a benefit.

Point of Service Plans
1. Point of service options are arrangements in which patients with a managed care dental plan have the option of seeking treatment from an “out-of-network” provider. The reimbursement to the patient is usually based on a low table of allowances; with significantly reduced benefits than if the patient had selected an “in network” provider.

Discount or Referral Plans
1. Discount or referral plans are technically not insurance plans. The company selling the plan contracts with a network of dentists. Contracted dentists agree to discount their dental fees. Patients pay all the costs of treatment at the contracted rate determined by the plan and there are no dental claim forms to file. Originally these plans were sold to individuals; however, more and more employers are purchasing these types of plans as the dental plan for the company’s employees.