Among the many good reasons that there are to subscribe to any health insurance, protecting yourself from the very expensive dental costs is one of the most convincing, given that dental care is among the costs that have the greatest impact on the family budget. So much so that according to numerous reports, both by Istat and by some associations in the sector, an increasing number of people are forced to give up dental health care for economic reasons.
However, there is a good solution to the problem and it is precisely that of taking out a dental policy for the care of the teeth that covers the costs incurred for treatment. In Italy, almost all insurance companies offer dental health insurance specific to dental care, which often includes a simple check-up and routine cleaning and can optionally be extended to the entire family.
How dental health insurance works
Dental policies usually provide, following the payment of an annual or monthly premium, the possibility of obtaining dental treatment at reduced costs or, in some cases, a reimbursement, in whole or in part, of the dental health costs incurred. In the case of dental care policies that provide for reimbursement, a distinction must be made: the total reimbursement concerns the so-called ordinary dental care (cleaning of the teeth, removal of tartar or scaling, control radiographs, root canalization, small fillings, etc. .); in cases of particularly complex and much more expensive interventions (implantology, application of capsules or orthodontic prostheses, etc.) the reimbursement is partial, due to the presence of coverage limits.
Generally, it should be emphasized that dental insurance rarely falls within the type that provides for reimbursement of expenses, but instead falls within the first formula, the one that obtains a discount on all the services requested, a discount that can take the form of a sort of coupon. In some cases, in fact, the companies that offer health insurance for dental expenses, guarantee a large discount on dental care interventions, but require the customer to submit a “specific application” to obtain a coupon which is then shown to the dental office that will take care of the intervention: in practice, instead of having to bear the entire costs and having to request reimbursement of the same, presenting the coupon to the dental office,
Does dental insurance cover treatment abroad?
One of the questions that most often arises when it comes to dental health policies is that relating to coverage and in particular whether these insurance cover the dental expenses incurred abroad. In fact, those who undergo dental treatment therapies in other states are increasingly frequent, in order to obtain lower prices and save on surgery. In this case, it should be specified that there are private clinics that allow you to have all-inclusive packages including expenses for and treatment, travel, and accommodation expenses. Some of these clinics have agreements with Italian insurance companies, therefore in these specific cases, the treatments could be covered with the dental policy stipulated in Italy. Also in this case it is advisable to read the contractual clauses carefully; alternatively, it will be necessary to find a European company.
How much does dental insurance cost?
Considering the multiplicity of products on the market, both by type of policy and by coverage offered, it is very complicated to identify an average cost for dental health insurance: it can range from € 190-200 per year up to € 1,000, especially in if there is dental coverage for children and family members. It is therefore very important to carefully evaluate all the clauses and options provided in the contracts and request an online quote to compare the best dental health policies on the market.
Dental health insurances almost always include a deductible, or a share of the cost entirely borne by the insured, and a maximum (maximum) amount repayable over a calendar year, the limit of which can also vary from 1,000 to 2,000 euros depending on the type of policy or offer. The reimbursement is subject to the approval of the insurance company and is usually paid out over a period of between 6 and 18 months. Attention, however, to the contractual clauses: the policies may contain constraints concerning both the choice of the dentist (some companies may require the treatment to be carried out at a contracted dentist) and the type of orthodontic treatment. In fact, the presence in the contract of the clause called “less expensive alternative treatment” is not uncommon, which makes obtaining reimbursement conditional on the choice of the least expensive treatment, obviously assuming that the dental pathology allows you to choose between several options.
How to choose the dental health insurance
Now that you have a more complete overview of the world of dental policies, you can easily guess that choosing one product over another cannot be left to chance. There are many factors that affect costs, but it would be equally wrong to focus only on those to make such a delicate choice.
So if you are wondering how to choose dental insurance remember to evaluate these three elements:
- cost and characteristics of the coverage: how much does the policy cost? What does it cover? To understand if a dental policy is worthwhile, it is necessary to make an assessment of the relationship between costs and the type of coverage and services offered. In fact, it could happen that driven by the price you decide to take out health insurance for dental care with minimum coverage and that if you have to undergo a more complex intervention tomorrow, dental insurance will not cover the costs.
- reimbursement timing: how long does the reimbursement take? In the case of dental insurance policies that provide for reimbursement, a choice factor could be based on the timing of reimbursement of expenses by the insurance company. Some interventions have high costs, so being able to get a refund quickly could be an excellent benefit
- special conditions and clauses: are there special clauses in the contract? Always pay attention to all contractual conditions, which in some way could affect the repayments by the insurance company: this is the case with the aforementioned less expensive alternative treatment clause
