Dental and Vision Insurance for Seniors

Insurance today has become as important as existence. And as we mature with age, this becomes more evident. Dental and vision insurance for seniors is an essential asset with genuine benefits.

We see a lot of insurance plans gaining space in the economical dockets for security and health. The transition from being a citizen and then being a senior citizen brings along more needs for getting insurance. A dental and vision insurance for seniors will help you avoid losing your savings for your check up, diagnosis and treatment, to the dentist and ophthalmologist (doctor for eyes). If you are employed, then your medical insurance will tell you about the coverage. If your benefits do not include dental and vision coverage, it is time to add them to your total insurance package. There are cases when these vision and dental issues are ignored by seniors due to low income, fixed income, retirement, etc. Seniors are more likely to encounter various problems related to dental health. Also eye and vision issues are most likely to happen with advancing age. As these problems do not show any symptoms as such, a proper check up and examination is required from a health expert. All those who have visited for the same will know that it really costs quite a bit. So it is better to get yourself insured so as to tackle senior health issues effectively. Let us check out some of the various plans for dental and vision insurance for seniors, and their benefits.

Dental and Vision Insurance Benefits for Seniors

Dental Insurance: Dental insurance for seniors is a must have today. Most of the dental insurance plans for seniors will cover yearly visits to the dentist completely. You will have to pay some amount for X-rays, but most plans reimburse a large amount of X-ray costs too. Even for fillings, cleanings, root canals, etc., it works in the same way. Special dental plans in insurance are designed especially for seniors. There are various options covering all possible treatments and procedures. They will however vary with difference in companies and policies. Seniors can take care of their dental health without finance being the hindrance.

Vision Insurance: Seniors are prone to more eye diseases like glaucoma , cataracts and macular degeneration. They also need glasses, especially bi-focals. These can be expensive but vision insurance will partially cover the expenses with a certain amount of copay (it is the amount that expected to be paid by the insured person for medical expense at the first time of the visit). Many insurance options will also cover the cost of contact lenses with a certain amount of copay. Vision insurance is the support to get through these problems with no financial difficulty.

Insurance Options for Seniors

Let us look at the various plans and options that are available for seniors, for both dental and vision insurance. These are just the types of plans and options. You can choose the type and company that suits your needs the best.

Plans for Dental Insurance

HMO dental plans – Also known as dental health maintenance organizations (DHMO) , this proves to be a low cost plan. The insurance company is under contract with various dental providers to provide select services. DHMO however have strict requirements and restrictions on insured members. Due to the low cost, many seniors opt for this insurance plan.

Dental indemnity insurance – It is also known as traditional insurance. In this insurance plan, the insured person chooses a dental service provider and pays directly to them, he/she is later reimbursed by the insurance company. About 50-80% of total cost is covered. The claim process may take a long time. The high deductibles and expensive premiums make this plan less popular. This even makes it not a very favored option for seniors.

Discount dental plans – This is not typically called insurance, but is an alternative to traditional and other insurance plans. This plan allows the person to avail a discount of up to 60% on various treatments. A charge of a monthly fee is imposed. The amount is very low and affordable, you can also opt for an annual fee. You usually get a card once you are a member, which then can be used to avail the discount. There are very good features in this plan like low cost, no hassle of claims and less waiting period, or limitation on benefits.

Insurance from employer – If the senior is employed , there will be coverage plans given to him by the employer. There are three major types : Direct Reimbursement Plans, Managed Care Plans and Indemnity Plans. You can check the provisions of the plan that is active on your insurance with the employer.

Plans for Vision Insurance

A senior vision insurance plan will be different from the Medicare health insurance plans. There are two major types of insurance plans for vision.

Vision benefits package – In this plan, you pay a monthly premium, and also a copay, at the time of visit to the medical service provider. It works similar to health insurance procedures. Services like eye exams may require a copay, and the rest would be covered in the plan.

Vision discount plan – This plan is like an alternative to insurance. The insured person has to pay fully for the treatment and other services to the provider, but is eligible for a discount. That means you will get the services at a discounted cost. The discount depends on the specific percentage that is pre decided with the service provider in the discount plan.

Coverage in both plans – Services like eye exams and products like eyeglasses and contact lenses are mostly covered. The plans usually have optometrists and ophthalmologists in contract. It gives you access to a network of eye care service providers.

Dental and vision insurance for seniors is important, so as to make the time after wrinkles and grays, a healthy, happy and peaceful experience!