As open enrollment approaches and millions of Americans choose between their employer’s dental insurance plans, Plan Forward, a leading dental software company, is encouraging them to consider another option: opting out of insurance and trying a dental membership plan.
Oral health is a key indicator of overall health, so first and foremost, the right coverage choice is the one that gets patients into their provider’s practice. The problem with many dental insurance plans is the opaque cost of these visits. Unclear coverage details, unreasonable maximums, and unfair waiting periods are common in dental insurance and can lead to high or unexpected out-of-pocket costs for standard visits or inadequate care. It’s important to review an employer’s offering closely to understand both the known and unknown costs associated with any plan before signing up.
Many people don’t realize they can visit a dental practice without insurance. In fact, more and more providers are reevaluating their network participation, which can leave even those with the best plan paying out of pocket. Practices are increasingly offering membership plans instead of, or in addition to, insurance networks to provide their patients with more flexibility.
A dental membership plan is a direct relationship between a dental practice and a patient. At the most basic level, a patient pays a monthly fee to receive a clear, defined set of services over a 12-month period. They may also receive a discount on care that is not part of their membership plan, such as crowns and dentures. By removing the insurance middleman, patients know what to expect and how much they’ll pay, which is often less than what they’d owe even with insurance.
“If a person is paying an insurance premium every month and still paying $400 out of pocket for routine cleanings and x-rays, the dollars may not make sense. It’s time to do the math,” said Megan Lohman, Founder and Co-CEO of Plan Forward. “With a membership plan, that same person will know from day one what they’ll receive for hygiene visits, fluoride, and more. They just need to start the conversation.”
When is the right time to reevaluate dental insurance coverage? It starts now, before open enrollment, with a call to their dental provider to find out whether a membership plan is an option at their practice. Says Lohman, “It’s important that individuals know their options.
Every year, you have the opportunity to accept, change, or decline dental coverage without penalty.”
To learn more about Plan Forward, visit planforward.io.
About Plan Forward
Plan Forward is a leader in offering a comprehensive solution, including an innovative new platform for enabling the custom creation, management and analysis of dental membership plans, compliant membership agreements, and marketing support to drive membership growth for practices and groups. The company was founded in 2018, and has assembled an experienced, seasoned team of technologists and domain experts. Follow Plan Forward at planforward.io.
