Medicare Dental Plans
Good dental health is an important part of your overall health. This means regular visits to the dentist which can often become costly. If you have dental insurance today, you most likely get it from your employer. If you are on Medicare and you are not receiving any dental benefits from an employer, this may leave you without any coverage. The rates for a dental policy when you purchase it on your own are fairly expensive and usually have waiting periods before the policy will cover major services. Although, there are some Medicare policies that do provide you dental coverage that you might want to consider.
Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage plans are very different than Medicare Supplement plans. Advantage plans take over as the primary payer for your medical services rather than Original Medicare. Many Advantage plans also have a specific network of doctors and require you to share the cost of medical services. Although, these plans often cover additional services including dental. The insurance carrier will usually have a specific network of dentists that they use. Once you sign up for the policy, Medicare dental plans will have an allowance that you can spend towards most regular services. Although, this does not mean that you can spend the allowance on anything at the dentist. There will be a specific list of exclusions that you will want to check prior to receiving services. In addition to covering dental services, many Advantage plans also provide coverage for hearing aids, vision, and gym memberships.
How to Sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan
If you are turning 65 and you will be eligible for Medicare, you can sign up for one of these plans on the first of the month prior to your 65th birthday. If you currently have Original Medicare or a Medicare Supplement plan, then you have the option to switch during the annual enrollment period. This runs from October 15th to December 7th. All plans start the following year on January 1st. If you are interested in exploring the options in your area, please give our office a call. As a health insurance broker, we can discuss which plans will best fit your needs. We do not charge any fees to help you find a plan and there is no obligation to switch your policy when you come in.
