Insurance Coverage of Dental Implants

Is dental implant treatment covered by dental insurance plans?

Insurance coverage of implant treatment depends on the individual policy.  However, it is rare to receive any substantial coverage. Since the benefit coverage is determined strictly by the amount the employer wants to spend on the policy, and the insurance companies want to build in their profit margins, there are major limitations on most dental insurance plans.   In reality, the plans are often  only designed to cover routine maintenance, emergencies and basic care.

Although most companies exclude implants as a covered benefit, some plans will pay the same benefit they would cover for the lowest cost alternative treatment option (partials and dentures) and some of the diagnostic records, if a specific request is made for "alternative benefits". Even if an individual policy includes implants as a covered benefit, the amount of coverage is still limited to the annual maximum allowable.

Your dentist, and his staff, will be happy to look into your dental plan to see if you qualify for dental implant coverage. They will look to see if your plan contains an “Alternate Benefit Clause” or a “Health Spending Account”.

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