Regular dental care can be expensive, so dental insurance that can help cover the cost of a healthy mouth is a good option for many people. If you're considering dental insurance, you may wonder what makes a PPO dental plan different from other forms of dental insurance.
The Facts
A preferred provider organization (PPO) dental plan is a form of dental health insurance that encourages members to seek care from a network of member dentists by offering members discounts for doing so. If you're willing to pay more money, you can also choose a dentist who isn't part of the plan's network to provide dental services.
Function
PPOs make dental care more affordable by covering some or all of the cost for routine and special dental visits, including orthodontia and dental surgeons. When you choose dentists who are in the PPO's network of preferred providers, you pay a smaller percentage or co-pay than when you see a dentist who isn't part of the network. The PPO covers part of the cost of your dentist visits whether your dentist is in-network or not.
Benefits
PPOs give you more freedom than some other insurance options, which limit coverage to in-network providers. If you want to use a particular dentist, you can still use your health insurance to see her. If you want to see a dental health specialist, you can make an appointment without having to get a referral or insurance approval.
Challenges
If you have a PPO and choose to go out of network for some or all of your dental care, you'll be responsible for making sure that the appropriate paperwork is completed and filed. In some cases, you may have to handle the paperwork even for in-network providers. Although PPO dental plans give you more freedom, that freedom usually comes with higher monthly premium costs and frequently with higher deductibles--out of pocket expenses that must be met before you can use your benefits to pay for dental care.
Considerations
Keep in mind that some dental care might be come with a higher co-pay or deductible requirement even if you go to a dentist in-network. Teeth whitening, nightguards and optional orthodontics, for example, are often included in PPO coverage at a higher cost.
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