Find the Best Dental Insurance in Lansing, MI

How to choose dental insurance in Lansing

Regular, high-quality dental care is important for oral and general health alike, but just one appointment for an exam, cleaning and X-rays can cost hundreds of dollars. To get coverage for these visits and other treatments and procedures, many people carry dental insurance in Lansing.

If you don’t have access to dental benefits through an employer or a public benefits program, you’ll find plenty of options from companies selling individual and family plans. But you should understand how dental insurance in Lansing works and what it covers.

There are three main types of dental insurance in Lansing: preferred provider organization (PPO) plans, dental health maintenance organization (DHMO) plans and indemnity (also called fee-for-service) plans. Like health insurance, your policy may include a deductible, copayment, coinsurance and a network of care providers.

The cost of dental insurance in Lansing depends on whether you purchase an individual or family policy, the plan type, your age and if you use tobacco. Typically, the average consumer in Michigan will pay anywhere from $13 to $50 a month for an individual policy.

If you have a preferred dentist, make sure you look over the list of providers before signing up for a plan. Examine how the insurance company classifies different treatments and procedures and what it charges for them. It is common for preventive care to be covered at 100 percent with no deductible and for other services to be covered at 80 percent or 50 percent.

Also, be aware that most dental insurance plans in Lansing have waiting periods for anything beyond preventive care, lasting from six months to one year. Therefore, you shouldn’t wait until you need extensive dental work to apply for dental insurance in Lansing.

Dental savings plans: an alternative to insurance

Dental savings plans are cheaper than dental insurance and have no waiting periods. Members of these plans, which are different from insurance, pay a monthly or annual fee and get discounts on services as long as they visit participating dentists.

Dental savings plans have no deductibles, no limits on use and no claims process. You pay out of pocket at the time of service.

Dental savings plans in Lansing, offering between 10 - 60 percent savings on services, cost about $100 per year for an individual.