Also referred to as a dental plan, dental insurance is a form of health insurance that primarily aims to cover dental care costs.
The right kind of dental insurance coverage makes it convenient for people to afford dental care without having to put a dent in your wallet.
Different states in the U.S offer different kinds of dental insurance plans. For instance, if you live in Texas, you will find a massive variety of Texas dental insurance providers, offering unique plans and coverage options.
This article covers dental insurance in Texas, including how it works, how to obtain dental insurance, the average cost of dental insurance, and the types of dental insurance Texas offers. If you are looking for a dental insurance provider outside Texas, make sure to check out our list of the best dental insurance companies in the US.
How Does Texas Dental Insurance Work?
Dental insurance plans in Texas work quite the same as any medical insurance in any part of the country. You get some listed dental benefits at a specific monthly rate, but it is important to note that some plans are quite extensive and provide broader coverage than others.
Texas dental insurance plans typically fall under two categories: indemnity and managed-care plans.
Texas Indemnity plans consist of a massive selection and variety of dental care providers compared to managed-care plans. The main feature of indemnity plans is that the carrier pays for covered services after receiving a bill, meaning you pay upfront and obtain a reimbursement from your insurance carrier later.
On the other hand, managed-care plans offer dental provider networks that consist of dentists who participate together and agree to provide services at pre-negotiated rates. They also undertake the task of submitting the claim to the dental insurance company on your behalf.
In a nutshell, the primary benefit of managed-care dental plans is that you have less paperwork to deal with, lower out-of-pocket costs, whereas, with an indemnity plan, you get to choose from a great variety of dentists.
What They Cover
A typical dental insurance plan covers:
- Preventive care, such as cleanings, exams, and X-rays
- Basic procedures, such as fillings
- Major procedures, such as crowns and dentures
What They Don’t Cover
Most dental insurance policies do not cover costs for:
- Cosmetic procedures, including teeth whitening, gum contouring, tooth shaping, and veneers
- Major preexisting conditions
- Adult orthodontia, like braces to straighten teeth
Average Cost of Dental Insurance in Texas
When choosing the right dental insurance plan, a common question asked by many people is, how much does dental insurance cost in Texas?
To put it simply, Texas dental insurance average costs and premiums are quite similar to the premiums throughout the country. If you look at private dental insurance plans, they cost about $366 per year on average, whereas family plans generally cost around $680 per year.
However, it is essential to note that dental insurance Texas cost can vary based on different factors, such as an individual’s age, gender, and the number of family members, to name a few.
On the other hand, the national average cost is about $360 a year for dental insurance or between $15 and $50 per month. But, overall, these costs vary depending on your state.
How to Find Affordable Dental Care Plans?
An essential thing to understand about dental insurance plans is that they come in all shapes and sizes. Every plan brings with it a unique level of cost and coverage. For instance, one dental care plan might offer full coverage for a specific dental treatment or procedure that another plan may not cover.
How to Find Affordable Plans In Texas?
Keeping that in mind the many options for cheap dental insurance in Texas, you can easily find affordable dental insurance in Texas that suits your wallet.
To find affordable dental care plans in Texas, you need to shortlist your options by considering different dental insurance companies and drawing a comparison between what they have to offer.
What Factors Influence Dental Insurance Rates?
The cost and rates of dental insurance greatly vary across a country because insurance providers consider a few factors when calculating the cost. These typically include:
- Location
- Overall dental health
- Level of coverage required
Other than that, the costs also vary in whether the insurance provider is private or public.
Are There Discounts Available?
Yes, many dental insurance providers offer discounts and discounted bundles on their plans. Many reputable companies in Texas offer dental savings plans. Again, it depends on which insurance provider you opt for, the type of plans they have, and whether they are private or public.
Top Dental Insurance Companies In Texas
For all those looking for dental plans in Texas, we’ve rounded up some of the most affordable dental plans Texas has to offer, along with names of the famous dental insurance companies in the state.
Cigna
Cigna offers affordable, simple, and convenient health care options. This insurer has been rated as the best overall option.
It’s a health service company that’s known worldwide and has received that oh-so-wanted A rating from Standard & Poor’s and AM Best.
Cigna’s dental plans offer a network of more than ninety-three thousand dentists all over the nation., They have dental insurance for people without copays and deductibles for any preventive care.
Cigna offers dental Preferred Provider Organization (DPPO) plans that are available to people of all ages. On top of that, it also gives customers a chance to choose the level of care as per their needs.
This insurance provider has plans that include coverage for restorative care and orthodontic care. Furthermore, it covers preventative care with no deductibles or copayments.
However, two major downsides are that their plans don’t cover cosmetic procedures and dental implants. Moreover, Cigna has waiting periods of six months for one to be able to apply for basic care and twelve months for any major service or orthodontics.
In terms of pricing, Cigna’s dental insurance costs depend on the type of plan you choose. However, to give you an idea here’s a breakdown of different plans and their costs:
- Cigna Preventive Plan – starts at $19 per month
- Cigna Dental 1000 Plan – starts at $30 per month
- Cigna Dental 1000 Plan – starts at $35 per month
Delta Dental
When it comes to dental insurance, this is one name that surely deserves mention. Delta Dental offers some of the most comprehensive dental plans in Texas that cater to many.
This insurance provider holds an excellent reputation for orthodontics, but more than that, it has more than 348,000 dentists in their Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier plans.
Delta Dental is surely one of the nation’s largest dental provider networks, with that much-desired A from AM Best, which says a lot about the company’s financial strength.
Delta Dental policies and pricing vary due to many factors. Its PPO plan with orthodontic care starts at $64.92 per month for individuals. In contrast, it goes up to $213.34 per month on average for a family of four, for instance.
What’s great about Delta Dental is that there is no out-of-pocket cost for preventive care, and it also has an extensive network of providers. On the downside, orthodontic care is only covered at 50%, and the maximum annual benefits are quite low.
At Delta Dental, waiting periods differ from one plan to the other. There are no waiting periods for diagnostic or preventive services, like basic exams and routine cleanings.
On the other hand, you can expect a waiting period of 6 to 12 months for restorative services, such as non-surgical extractions and fillings. There’s also a 12-month waiting period for major services, like dentures and crowns.
Physicians Mutual
With a rating of A from AM Best, Physicians Mutual is another leading insurer when it comes to Texas dental plans and insurance providers.
This insurance company offers the following three basic dental insurance plans:
- Economy Plus plan – starting at $30.10 per month
- Standard Plus plan – starting at $37.80 per month
- Preferred Plus plan – starting at $46.75 per month
Physicians Mutual holds an excellent reputation among seniors, mainly because there are no limits (annual or lifetime) on the coverage. Furthermore, their plans include benefits to help people, especially seniors, pay for dentures. Perhaps, the best part about this insurance provider is that it offers specialized pricing that caters well to a senior’s budget.
The downsides with Physicians Mutual are that it has a waiting period of three months for basic procedures and 12 months for any major services. The company also decides the limits in terms of how much it is willing to pay per procedure, which eventually depends on the plan that you choose.
United HealthCare
This insurance company is particularly the best for families, given their extensive and comprehensive dental plans plus packages.
It doesn’t have any age limit, and its dental plans cover preventive care without any waiting periods or deductibles. However, the major services require specific waiting periods, mainly subject to your plan’s deductible.
The most important benefits offered by United HealthCare are the broad range of dentists available. There are numerous options for families and individuals, and on top of that, many plans provide preventive care at 100%.
The downsides are that the maximum benefits per annum can go as low as 1,000 dollars per person. You can also expect waiting periods for major and even basic services, but they do vary according to the plan and services you require.
