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Dental Insurance – Golden Rule Insurance Company
Why is dental insurance important?
Have you noticed that something is missing from your insurance? You're not alone. Most medical plans leave out dental coverage. But your teeth are important. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children and adultsF17, and it’s preventable! So, no matter what kind of plan you have for your major medical insurance, adding a dental coverage plan might be the right move for you and your family.
Dental insurance for your needs
Maybe you're looking for coverage for the basics like regular cleanings, exams and the occasional filling. Or maybe you're hoping for help with the costs of more serious dental work like root canals or even implants or braces. Different plans have different coverage options, so you can pick the one that fits your needs. These UnitedHealthcare branded plans give you access to a network of providers who can help prevent or treat your dental issues and who offer services at lower costs than many out-of-network providers, saving you money.
Choosing a type of dental coverage
Part of learning how to get dental insurance is choosing how you want to access your dental care.
- A dental HMO has a small network of dentists but can reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
- If you're willing to pay more premium for the freedom to go to any dentist, you might check out dental indemnity plans.
- UnitedHealthcare branded dental insurance plans, underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company, are Dental PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations) offering a wide network of dentists to choose from who have agreed to offer dental care at discounted rates, helping keep your out-of-pocket costs down.
Is your dentist in network?
Your dentist's office can give you a list of insurance their practice accepts and if it includes your UnitedHealthcare branded dental insurance plan, underwritten by Golden Rule. You can also check with the insurance carrier to see what dentists are in network. If you don't already have a dentist, friends, family or coworkers can be a great source for recommendations. Then, you can check to see if that dentist accepts the dental insurance plan you have. Find a dentist in the UnitedHealthcare dental network.
Apply for dental coverage
If you want to learn more about how to get dental insurance, it won't take long. In just a few minutes you can select a UnitedHealthcare branded dental insurance plan from Golden Rule and apply for coverage. Apply online for dental insurance plans.
Day 1 Coverage
Routine cleanings covered on first day of plan coverage
65+
No maximum age limit for plans
100%
100% preventive care coverage on some plans
Why Dental Insurance – Golden Rule Insurance Company
Who should consider dental insurance?
Families
Preventive care coverage Day 1
Self-Employed
To round out individual coverage
Retirees
Plans specifically designed for older adults, ages 64+
Needs Implants or Braces
Plan options for more serious dental work
Have Health But No Dental
Coverage many employers may not offer
Choosing the Right Plan
How will you use your dental plan?
Exams, Cleanings and Fillings
If you want a plan that covers preventive and basic care such as regular exams and fillings, choose an Essential Dental or Primary Dental plan. All plans cover cleanings starting Day 1. Essential plans have lower premiums, but Primary plans pay 100% for preventive care and cover basic services like fillings and simple extractions on Day 1, as well.
Recommended Plan: Essential Dental (lower premium) or Primary Dental (100% preventive care coverage)
Crowns, Root Canals and Bridges
Is there more serious dental work in your future? Essential Preferred Dental can give you 15% coverage after deductible on major services after a 6-month waiting period. Need help now? Premier Choice Dental offers 10% coverage after deductible for major services day one. Premier Choice also has a higher $1500 calendar year maximum coverage compared to Essential Preferred’s $1000.
Recommend Plan: Essential Preferred Dental if you can wait, Premier Choice Dental if you can't
Orthodontics or Dental Implants
When you need benefits for children's orthodontics, it’s Premier Plus Dental you’re looking for. Premier Plus has a higher calendar year maximum than many other plans and after a 12-month waiting period provides 50% coverage after deductible for braces (limited to $1000 lifetime maximum in benefits). Premier Plus also covers implants, as does Gen Deluxe Dental plans for individuals 64 and over. Premier and Gen plans provide coverage for preventive care too, so you can take care of your oral health in every way.
Recommended Plan: Premier Plus Dental or Gen Deluxe Dental
Dental Insurance Options – Golden Rule Insurance Company
Take a glance at the benefits & compare with confidence
Benefits and waiting periods may vary in select states. Review Benefits, Exclusions, & Limitations for details.
LOWER PREMIUM
Essential
DENTAL PLAN
Lower premium than Essential Preferred
Preventive care 80% paid day one
Benefits for basic services after 4-month waiting period and deductible are met (Waiting period does not apply in select states)
Starting at
/mo
LOWER PREMIUM, DAY ONE COVERAGE
Primary
DENTAL PLAN
Pays 100% for preventive care and 50% after deductible for basic services day one
Lowest premium of primary plans
$50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
USE ANY DENTIST
Primary Plus
DENTAL PLAN
Pays more for non-network dentists
Pays 100% for preventive care and 50% after deductible for basic services day one
$1,000 calendar year max benefit; $50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
ADDS MAJOR SERVICES
Essential Preferred
DENTAL PLAN
Preventive care 80% paid day one
Benefits for basic services after 4-month waiting period and deductible are met
Adds benefits for major services after 6-month waiting period and deductible are met
Starting at
/mo
ADDS MAJOR SERVICES
Primary Preferred
DENTAL PLAN
Pays 100% for preventive care and 35% after deductible for basic services day one
Pays 15% after deductible for major services after 6 months, 50% after deductible after 1 year
$50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
DAY ONE COVERAGE
Premier Choice
DENTAL PLAN
Pays 100% for preventive care and 50% after deductible for basic services day one
Pays 10% after deductible for major services day one, 40% after deductible after 1 year
$1,500 calendar year max benefit; $50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
MORE COVERAGE THAN PREMIER CHOICE
Premier Elite
DENTAL PLAN
Pays 100% for preventive care and 50% after deductible for basic services day one
Pays 15% after deductible for major services after 6 months, 50% after deductible after 1 year
$2,000 calendar year max benefit; $50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
ADDS ORTHODONTICS & IMPLANTS
Premier Plus
DENTAL PLAN
Pays 10% after deductible for major services including dental implants day one, 40% after deductible after 1 year
Pays 50% for children's orthodontics after 12 months up to $1,000 lifetime max
$2,000 calendar year max benefit; $50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
HIGHEST ANNUAL MAXIMUM
Premier Max
DENTAL PLAN
Pays 100% for preventive care day one
Pays 50% after deductible for basic services (after 4 months) and major services (after 1 year)
$3,000 calendar year max benefit; $50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
COVERS MAJOR SERVICES, NON-NETWORK DENTISTS
Primary Preferred Plus
DENTAL PLAN
Pays 100% for preventive care and 35% after deductible for basic services day one
Pays 15% after deductible for major services after 6 months, 50% after deductible after 1 year
Pays more for non-network dentists. $50 deductible (max 3 per family)
Starting at
/mo
For details on Dental Gen plans specifically designed for older adults, 64+, call 1-800-273-8115.
Dental FAQs
If you’ve had health insurance, you’re going to be familiar with how a dental insurance plan works.
- You pay a premium, a certain amount monthly, to buy the plan.
- Your deductible is what you have to pay out-of-pocket for services covered by your plan before the insurance company pays.
- Your plan may include copays, a fixed cost you pay for a certain service, like an X-ray.
- Coinsurance refers to the percentage you pay of covered expenses after you meet your deductible. So if your coinsurance for a filling is 30%, and the cost for that service in-network is $100, you would pay $30 of that. The insurance company would pay for the rest of your covered expenses up to your annual maximum.
Yes. It is standalone coverage. You don’t need to have any other kind of health insurance to purchase it.
No. The ACA, also known as Obamacare, doesn’t require anyone to have a dental coverage plan. In other words, you won’t face tax penalties if you don’t have it. The ACA does require that dental insurance be offered to you if you have children, but it doesn’t require you to get that insurance.
Yes. Dental plans generally come with annual maximums, which is the most the insurance will cover in a given calendar year. Those maximums vary depending on the plan and insurance provider. UnitedHealthcare branded dental insurance plans from Golden Rule Insurance Company offer plans with maximums that range from $1,000 to $3,000 in a calendar year.
Yes. Almost all dental plans include coverage for routine exams, cleanings, routine X-rays, the kind of preventive care you need to keep your teeth healthy. Plans differ in whether you pay a copay for these services or they are covered completely without anything out-of-pocket by you, but they will be covered.
In fact, one of the main benefits of having the insurance may be that it gives you the incentive to make regular dental preventive care a habit and to reduce the chances of more serious problems down the road.
Yes. Most cover dental work like fillings, simple extractions, and root canals. What services are covered and how much insurance will pay vary by plan. To determine if a dental plan fits your situation, be sure to check the details before you buy.
It depends. Braces and orthodontic work are covered under some plans, but not most. So, if that’s a primary reason you’re looking for coverage, you’ll want to shop around to find a dental coverage plan that has that benefit. And you’ll want to read the details of that plan carefully.
There are three basic types: Dental HMOs, Dental PPOs and Dental Indemnity plans. To find the best one for you and your loved ones, you should consider what your most important deciding factors are (for example, cost, keeping your dentist, flexibility) and look at dental insurance plans that suit your needs. The UnitedHealthcare branded dental insurance plans offered through Golden Rule Insurance Company are the Dental PPO type of plans.
Key characteristics of the three basic types:
Dental HMOs:
HMO stands for Health Maintenance Organization. If you participate in a Dental HMO, you generally have
- Lower premiums than either a Dental PPO or an Indemnity plan
- No annual maximum to the benefits the plan will pay
- A restricted network of dentists and dental providers
- No benefits for going to out-of-network dentists or providers
- A list of copays (standard costs) you will spend for office visits and specific dental services
Dental PPOs:
PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization. Dental plans underwritten by Golden Rule Insurance Company are this type. If you choose a Dental PPO, you can expect
- Higher premiums than a Dental HMO
- An annual maximum to your benefits (varies by plan)
- A network of dentists or providers that have agreed to offer discounted services and that you can choose to use to save money
- Some benefits paid to out-of-network dentists or providers you might choose to go to instead
- A list of the percent the insurance company will pay for different dental services. (For example, many Dental PPOs cover 100% of preventive services like exams and cleanings but may pay only 50% for major expenses like crowns or bridges.)
Dental Indemnity plans:
This is traditional fee-for-service insurance, offering the most freedom of choice. You can expect
- Higher premiums than either a Dental HMO or Dental PPO
- A calendar year maximum to your benefits
- A small deductible you have to meet
- No network of providers, meaning you get the same benefits with any dentist you choose (but also meaning there are no network-negotiated discounts on dental services)
- A list of the percent the insurance company will pay for different dental services, just like with Dental PPOs
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: To get the most value out of your dental insurance plan, confirm your dentist is in your plan’s network before you buy. In-network dentists agree to lower rates on their dental services, so you’ll save by staying in-network.
Cost and convenience. You can help make more affordable dental care for yourself by staying in-network. A dentist in-network has agreed to lower rates on services. That means you pay less even before your insurance pays for anything by getting a filling worked on at an in-network dentist than by going to an out-of-network one.
Also, some dental insurance plans don’t pay any benefits to out-of-network dentists at all, or pay less. Check your plan before you buy.
Finally, if you stay in-network, you often won’t have to deal with submitting claims yourself. The dental office and your insurance provider will handle that. If you are out-of-network, you may have to submit your own claims and wait to be reimbursed.1
Oftentimes Yes. Don’t wait until you have a problem to get insured. For your insurance to cover some dental services, you may have to wait. Some plans offer immediate coverage for basic services like fillings or simple extractions, but some may require a 4- to 6-month wait. For more major services, like implants, your waiting period might be 12 months.
The best dental insurance plans are a long-term investment in your oral health, not a quick fix to a short-term problem.
No. The two are not the same.
Dental insurance is a type of insurance where you pay a premium and after any deductibles or copays, insurance pays for covered dental expenses, either in full or partially, up to an annual maximum.
Dental discount plans operate more like price clubs. You pay a fee, and you get access to certain discounted rates at select dentists. There’s no payout from the discount plan company to your dental provider.
| Dental Insurance | Discount Plan | |
| Monthly cost | Generally higher than discount plans | Generally lower than dental insurance |
| Who pays | A balance between you and the insurance company | You do. You pay the fee for joining and pay for the dental service at the discounted provider rate |
| Rates and providers | In-network providers provide services at discounted rates or by copay. Some plans cover preventive care at no cost. | Select providers provide reduced rates on select services |
| Deductible | Generally yes | No |
| Copay/coinsurance | Sometimes | No |
| Waiting period | Usually not for preventive care; sometimes for basic or major services | No |
| Annual maximum benefit | Usually yes | No. Since no benefits are paid out, there is no maximum benefit |
Note: Both are generally a better option than paying cash out-of-pocket because both have negotiated lower rates on dental care with the dentists involved in their networks.
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Need help finding a health plan that fits? Call one of our licensed insurance brokers at. 1-800-273-8115.
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This policy has exclusions, limitations, reduction of benefits, and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of the coverage, call or write your insurance agent or the company, whichever is applicable.
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