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Medicare and Dental Coverage - What dental does Medicare cover? Do you need dental insurance? - YouTube
Channel: BCMWI - Medicare Plan Specialists Since 1976
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Dental coverage is something most of us聽
have included in our employer group health聽聽
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insurance plans, but Medicare is different.聽
Do you need dental insurance with Medicare?聽聽
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Medicare doesn't cover most dental care, dental聽
procedures, or supplies, like cleanings, fillings,聽聽
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tooth extractions, dentures, or other dental聽
devices. Medicare Part A, your hospital insurance,聽聽
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will pay for certain dental services that you聽
get when you're in a hospital. Part A can pay聽聽
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for inpatient hospital care if you need to have聽
emergency or complicated dental procedures,聽聽
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but Original Medicare is not going to聽
provide you with routine cleanings,聽聽
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x-rays, and exams at a dentist's office.聽聽
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Alright, so what are your options? Some Medicare聽
Advantage plans include dental insurance benefits.聽聽
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These plans usually require you to use聽
the plan's network of dental providers,聽聽
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and they have limits on how much the plan will聽
pay for your dental care during a calendar year.聽聽
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$1000 and $1500 maximums are common. Your聽
costs, in the form of deductibles, co-pays,聽聽
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and coinsurance, can vary widely from plan to聽
plan. Medicare Supplement plans are not allowed聽聽
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by law to include other insurance products,聽
like dental coverage, bundled with a Medicare聽聽
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Supplement. However, some Medicare Supplement聽
companies do offer dental discount programs聽聽
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to their Medicare Supplement policyholders. It聽
isn't actual dental insurance, but you can save up聽聽
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to 40 percent on dental care with these discount聽
programs when you use network dental providers.聽聽
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Discount amounts and networks vary by聽
company. Finally, there are standalone聽聽
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dental insurance plans you can purchase. The聽
premiums can be as low as ten dollars a month,聽聽
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up to over fifty dollars a month, depending on聽
the plan. Benefits and networks also vary widely.聽聽
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At the lower premium amounts, you can expect聽
things like oral surgery, dentures, root canals,聽聽
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crowns, and orthodontia to not be covered at all.聽
Like the dental coverage included with Medicare聽聽
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Advantage plans, standalone dental insurance聽
plans have a maximum limit on how much they聽聽
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will pay for your dental care in a calendar year.聽
With most plans this limit is somewhere between聽聽
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one thousand dollars and fifteen hundred dollars.聽
That annual maximum is an important consideration聽聽
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when comparing standalone dental plans. If you are聽
going to be paying, say, fifty dollars a month, or聽聽
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six hundred dollars a year, for an annual maximum聽
benefit of one thousand dollars or fifteen hundred聽聽
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dollars, is that a good use of your hard-earned聽
money? Another option may be to put that $600 in聽聽
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a savings account every year, and use it to pay聽
for dental expenses when they occur. Some dental聽聽
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offices offer discounts to patients who have聽
no dental insurance but pay cash for services,聽聽
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so it's a good idea to speak with your dentist's聽
office as part of your decision-making process.聽聽
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So, do you need dental insurance? That's entirely聽
up to you. If you choose a medical plan that聽聽
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includes dental coverage, then you have it. If聽
you prefer a medical plan that doesn't have dental聽聽
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insurance or a dental discount program, then we'll聽
look at the options for dental coverage available聽聽
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in your area, including possible discounts聽
for cash payment with your current dentist,聽聽
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compare the pros and cons of every option, and聽
then you choose the option that will work best for聽聽
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you. And, because most standalone dental insurance聽
and discount plans are month-to-month contracts,聽聽
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you are free to change your聽
mind anytime during the year.聽聽
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Curious about the dental options available聽
to you? Give us a call at 877-312-1414.聽聽
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We're happy to help you find the聽
best value for your premium dollar.
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