With the incomes of most Texans shaky at best, vital healthcare costs, including dental expenses, are increasingly hard to bear. Traditional dental insurance policies are proving either to be inadequate or nonexistent for the vast majority of Texans due to high deductibles, low maximums, and long waiting periods.
Yet, like most of us, you probably recognize the importance of visiting your dentist regularly. Fortunately, there are numerous insurances for dental in Texas that can cut costs. Read on for more info about the dental insurance alternatives that can save you substantially.
Does Medicaid Cover Texas Dental Care?
Medicaid is a partnership between the US government and the state of Texas, which aims to provide health benefits to children, people with disabilities and adults with very low incomes.
- For children under 21 in Texas, Medicaid pays for comprehensive dental services including cleanings, fillings, sealants, root canals and even dentures.
- When it comes to adults over 21, the news is not good. Medicaid provides no coverage for preventive, diagnostic or restorative dental services for adults.
- Moreover, many dentists do not accept Medicaid patients.
Does Medicare Cover Texas Dental Care?
Senior citizens and individuals with disabilities are eligible for Medicare, a federal program that primarily focuses on helping with the high costs of hospitalization, rehabilitation, long term care and durable medical equipment. Only in the most restricted situations, however, will Medicare cover any dental costs.
- For instance, it will only subsidize the cost of tooth extractions if they are a necessary prerequisite to a certain medical procedure such as reconstructive jaw surgery.
- Medicare is prohibited by law from providing any coverage for fillings, cleanings, dentures, crowns and most other dentistry.
- Therefore, patients need to find another source of coverage or dental insurance for all of their routine dental visits and procedures.
Alliance HealthCard Gold Card
Annual Membership = $144.95
Example Discounted Prices:
- Adult Cleaning = $47
- White Filling = $61
- Porcelain Crown = $546
- Single (simple) extraction = $61
- Root Canal (front tooth) = $316
Affordable Family Health Services
Annual Membership = $124.95
Savings = 25-60% off
Example Discounted Prices:
- Adult Cleaning = $38
- White Filling = $65
- Porcelain Crown = $550
- Root Canal (front tooth) = $350
UNI-CARE 200 Discount Dental Plan
Annual Membership = $114.95
Example Discounted Prices:
- Adult Cleaning = $39
- Porcelain Crown = $583
- Root Canal (front tooth) = $323
- Full Upper Denture = $741
Dental Care Advantage
Annual Membership = $124.95
Example Discounted Prices:
- Adult Cleaning = $46
- White Filling = $72
- Porcelain Crown = $580
- Root Canal (front tooth) = $360
- Full Upper Denture = $775
Patriot Plan
Annual Membership = $104.95
- Adult Cleaning = First cleaning of the year is free. The second costs $39.
- White Filling = $61
- Porcelain Crown = $534
- Root Canal (front tooth) = $284
Dental Access Plan powered by the Aetna Dental Access network
(For this reduced rate, call 1Dental at 1-855-927-4406)
Monthly Membership = $14.95
Savings = 15-50% off
Example Discounted Prices:
- Adult Cleaning = $67
- White Filling (front tooth) = $101
- Porcelain Crown = $825
- Full Upper Denture = $1,003
Careington 500 Series
(available on 1Dental.com)
Monthly Membership = $14.95
Savings = 20-60% or more
Example Discounted Prices:
- Checkup = $16
- Adult Cleaning = $34
- Full X-rays = $47
- White Filling (front tooth) = $60
- Porcelain Crown = $557
- Root Canal (front tooth) = $320
For the most up-to-date treatment prices in your area, please visit the 1Dental fee schedule and enter your zip code.
Conclusion
Everything seems bigger in Texas: huge steaks, expansive ranches, and wide open spaces. There is one thing, however, that residents of Texas want to keep as small as possible, and that’s the amount we must pay for dental expenses. The individual dental plans described above can help you trim that dentist bill down from gargantuan to manageable, without many of the limitations of traditional dental insurance. The Careington 500 Series plan, available on 1Dental.com, seems to offer the most savings for the lowest membership rate.
