Dental insurance types, Part 2
Preferred Provider Plans
Preferred providers are organizations of dentists who provide services at high discounts. These plans also have monthly premiums, but you are limited to the approved providers.
HMO Plans
Like medical HMOs, dental HMOs have monthly premiums, free regular checkups, co-payments for visits, a select group of practitioners. These often charge less than either preferred providers and indemnity plans.
Discount Plans
These are not insurance policies per se. With discount dental plans, you get a discounted rate for services from dentists who are part of the plan. Dental discount plans are best for families and individuals. There is also a monthly fee to the company on top of an initial enrollment fee. However, this can cost considerably less than an insurance plan.
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