It is common knowledge that waiting periods apply before you can submit a claim for specific dental services after purchasing coverage under a dental insurance plan.
It can be difficult to find dental insurance with no waiting period, so it’s important to read the fine print to understand your exact restrictions.
The best dental insurance with no waiting period is examined below.
What is a Dental Insurance Waiting Period?
Waiting periods for dental insurance are periods of time after purchasing a dental insurance policy when you must wait to receive specific services.
You are then qualified for coverage for those dental services at the reimbursement rate outlined in the dental insurance plan after the waiting period has passed.
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There may be waiting periods for various forms of dental insurance treatment, including:
- Preventive Dental care: The majority of dental insurance policies don’t impose a waiting period on this type of care. That implies that your plan should immediately provide full coverage for things like checkups, X-rays, cleanings, and other preventive services.
- Basic Dental Services: such as restorations (fillings), space maintainers, and non-surgical tooth extractions, may be subject to waiting periods under some dental insurance plans.
- Major Dental Work: More expensive procedures, such as crowns, difficult extractions, and oral surgery, may call for a waiting period of six to twelve months.
- Other Dental Work: If the dental plan covers it, additional waiting periods may apply for braces, implants, dentures, and teeth whitening.
How to Get a Dental Insurance Policy With No Waiting Period
If you require immediate care or wish to begin receiving dental benefits right away, finding a dental plan with no waiting period can be helpful. Beginning your search by:
- Review the specifics of the dental plan. Look for information on waiting periods because some dental insurance plans might not require a waiting period for certain services while others might not require one at all.
- Identify the types of care you can wait for. Some dental insurance plans have waiting periods for major procedures like root canals but not for routine care. This kind of plan might be acceptable if you don’t require major care right away.
- Compare costs and coverage. You can compare the costs, deductibles, annual maximums, and provider networks of each dental policy after you’ve whittled down the list of dental plans without a waiting period.
Dental Insurance Plans With No Waiting Periods
Finding a dental insurance policy without a waiting period for preventive care is fairly simple, but obtaining coverage for other types of dental care without a waiting period may be more difficult, though not impossible.
We discovered that almost all of the 30 dental insurance plans we looked at do not have a waiting period for preventive care. For basic healthcare, about half have no waiting period. There are none for major care for nine.
The following dental insurance plans don’t require waiting periods for routine care:
- Ameritas PrimeStar Access, PrimeStar Total, and PrimeStar Value
- Guardian Direct Diamond, Achiever, Core, and Starter
- Humana Loyalty Plus
- Spirit Dental Core Network, Pinnacle Network, Secure Network, and Secure Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Primary Dental, Primary Plus Dental, and Primary Preferred
Dental insurance policies without waiting periods for major care include:
- Ameritas PrimeStar Access and PrimeStar Total
- Denali Dental Ridge Plan and Summit Plan
- Humana Loyalty Plus
- Spirit Dental Core Network, Pinnacle Network, Secure Network, and Secure Choice
Implications of Visiting a Dentist During a Waiting Period
While there is a waiting period, you can still visit the dentist, but your dental insurance will not pay for the portions of care that require a waiting period.
Preventive services, like exams and cleanings, for instance, are frequently covered without a waiting period, so those services will probably be covered.
However, if you are still in the waiting period for those services, you will be responsible for paying the costs of other forms of care.
Reasons to Pick a Dental Plan With No Waiting Period
You can receive the necessary care right away if you have dental insurance that doesn’t require a waiting period. Depending on the dental policy and type of care, waiting periods can range from six months to a full year.
When selecting dental insurance, waiting periods are an important consideration, but there are many others as well. Examine a policy’s coverage details, costs, deductibles, maximum annual coverage, and provider network.
Duration of a Dental Insurance Waiting Period
If your dental insurance plan has waiting periods, they could range from three to twelve months for routine dental care and from six to twelve months for major dental work.
Reasons for Dental Insurance Waiting Periods
In order to prevent new members from rapidly accruing high dental costs and to save money, dental insurance companies impose waiting periods.
Waiting periods are designed to deter patients from undergoing pricey dental procedures and subsequently canceling their dental insurance soon after.
This abrupt termination of coverage may result in increased dental insurance premiums for all policyholders.
Additionally, insurance companies typically don’t impose waiting periods for preventive services in the hopes that members will use them in advance, preventing the need for later, more expensive major dental work.
Cost of a No Waiting Period Dental Insurance Plan
According to Forbes Advisor’s analysis, the best dental insurance with no waiting period ranges in price from about $47 to $69 per month.
You might be able to find dental insurance for less money, but those plans frequently have waiting periods for the majority of dental services. Two instances are:
- Preventive Care from Humana costs, on average, $22 per month. Preventive and basic care are covered without any waiting periods under the policy, but major care is not included.
- The average monthly cost of UnitedHealthcare’s Essential Dental is $24, but there are waiting periods for both minor and major procedures. Preventive care has no waiting period.
FAQs
Are Dental Insurance Plans with No Waiting Periods More Costly?
The extent of coverage is one of many criteria used by dental insurance companies to determine rates. There are waiting periods for various types of coverage in that coverage.
Compare potential waiting periods to other aspects of the dental insurance plan, such as:
- Additional coverage, like orthodontia, teeth whitening, dentures, and dental implants
- Annual and lifetime maximums funded by the insurance company
- Deductible
- Percentage of the dental bill funded by the insurance company
- Premiums
- Provider network
- Type of plan used
Are there Disadvantages of Dental Insurance with No Waiting Periods?
Dental insurance without waiting periods may have trade-offs, such as higher costs.
For instance, the insurance provider may impose higher coinsurance rates (your out-of-pocket expenses following the payment of your deductible) for a variety of services.
Additionally, the insurer may implement graduated dental benefits, such as covering basic care up to 25% in the first 12 months and 50% in the second. Make sure you comprehend the benefits and restrictions by reading the policy.
How Do You Get Around a Waiting Period for Dental Insurance?
You could sidestep a dental insurance waiting period. A dental insurance company may waive a waiting period if you:
- Switch dental insurance plans but stay with the same firm.
- Change dental insurance companies without a setback in your dental insurance coverage.
Check with your insurance provider to see if you are eligible to avoid the waiting period if your dental insurance plan has one. If you are eligible, you could save hundreds on dental care.
Who is Qualified for Dental Insurance With No Waiting Periods?
Dental insurance is available to everyone without a waiting period. Finding a policy without a waiting period if you require extensive dental care is more difficult.
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Methodology
In order to find the best dental insurance with no waiting periods, we evaluated dental insurance plans according to a set of standards that included comparative costs, annual maximum insurance payouts,
no waiting period for preventive care, basic care payout levels, basic care waiting periods, major care coverage in the first year, coverage for implants, and coverage for orthodontia.
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