Orthodontia and Dental Insurance

If you are looking for a plan that will pay for most of your orthodontic costs you will probably be in for a big disappointment

We get calls every day from individuals who want to find a plan that will pay all or part of the cost of putting braces on their kids. Here are some of the options available to you:

1. Group PPO health insurance plans usually offer orthodontia as an option. Even so, the option has a waiting period before it goes into effect and limits the amount of payment. You can expect $1000 to $1500 of coverage. The cost of the option will eat up most of the this payment. After all is said and done, you don't get that much.

2. Reduced fee plans generally offer a discount for orthodontia. The discounts are typically 20 - 25 percent without any waiting period. Considering the low cost of these plans, they are excellent values.

Some plans treat adult braces different than those for a child. You can make an argument for the need for this procedure at any age. However, it will fall on deaf ears if they do not want to cover it.

Adult Orthodontia

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, 1 in 5 orthodontic patients are adults. You want to be particularly careful about choosing a plan if you are looking for coverage or discounts for adult treatment.

Alternative Payment Methods

We obviously feel that having a discount plan is the most cost-effective answer to help defer the cost of orthodontic care. However, there are other ways to save money on this procedure.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) - if you have a health savings plan for your health insurance, you can use the money in the savings account to pay for orthodontia. You will be using pre-tax money. Depending on your tax bracket that can be a big savings.

Flexible Spending Account - again, pre-tax money can be used to pay for dental services.

Financing - some dentist will finance the work if you have very good credit or recommend an outside source. One client took a homeowner's equity loan and then deducted the interest off of his taxes.

Bottom Line

You can call us to see what the cost and savings might be but the discount plan and an orthodontist who accepts it will be the best value.