Medicare and most health insurance plans do not offer coverage for dental or routine vision care. Medicare may cover costs for treatment of diseases of the eye (such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts,) but will not pay for routine eye exams and glasses.
As many people need to purchase supplemental dental and vision coverage, we offer multiple options.
Dental Insurance Options
There are two ways to obtain dental coverage: through traditional dental insurance, or through a discount plan. Depending on which plans your dentist accepts, you may have waiting period for major services and copays.
• Dental Insurance
In majority of plans, preventive care is covered 100%. Major dental work (like crowns or dentures) sometimes has a waiting period or more limited coverage in the first few years. Dental insurance always has a maximum that they will pay out per year. Policies always begin on the 1st of the next month and are sometimes a 12-month contract.
• Discount Dental Plan
Discount plans are not dental insurance; they are “discount service plans.” These plans have no deductibles, no waiting periods and no annual maximum. Services are provided at discounted rates based on a fee schedule, which are typically 40% to 60% less than what the dentist charges cash. Plans can be put in place within 1 to 3 business days. Some of these plans can even include discounts on vision, as well. Not all dentists will accept these plans.
Vision Insurance
There are some vision only insurance plans. Typically, these vision insurance plans will have a network of providers you must select from. You will receive an allowance for eye glasses or contacts and the policy will cover routine eye exams for no or little cost. We find that often times the specials that vision providers offer are better than what you may get with a vision insurance plan.