The Downside of PPO Dental Insurance

[24hrdental.net]

PPO dental insurance is considered as one of the most popular dental insurance plans available in the market right now, not only because of its affordability. PPO dental plans are also flexible. PPO plans would be able to meet the needs of the plan holders, without sacrificing the quality on dental care that the plan holder would be getting.

PPO dental plans are flexible since members can get dental services from dentists even if they are not part of the dental provider's network. However, when getting dental services from a dental provider outside of the insurance company's dental network, the member is unable to enjoy full benefits and discounts.

For example, preventive care is usually covered 100% by PPO dental plans. But if the member prefers to undergo preventive dental services from a dentist who is not a network member, the plan holder is likely to pay for the visit. The discount could be smaller or there could be no discount at all.

Some plan holders, find this very limiting. There are patients or plan holders, even if they prefer getting dental services from in-network dentists, are still apprehensive because of limited experience with these in-network dentists. In addition, there are some PPO dentists who would refuse plan holders especially when the dental services that the plan holder wants cannot be reimbursed.

It is also common for PPO dental coverage to have deductibles, like a medical insurance. The deductibles can be small, but if you are paying for a family coverage, then that small amount could still result into bigger expenses. There are also annual caps. The PPO plan could usually cover around $1000 to $1500 of dental expenses in a year.

The downside of PPO plans may not be as significant compared with the benefits of getting dental insurance. But it is important to understand the pros and cons of dental plans, in order to understand which best fits you and your family's dental needs.