Dental Insurance for Self-Employed Individuals

Dental insurance can be an excellent way to help you maintain good oral health while saving money. It covers a range of services and incentivizes you to visit your dentist regularly. Self-employed people can also get dental coverage, but may face unique circumstances requiring extra consideration. This article will explain how dental insurance works for self-employed individuals and cover a few plans available to help you pick the best option for you and your loved ones.

What is dental insurance for self-employed individuals? 

Dental insurance is a form of supplemental health insurance that helps self-employed people cover dental care costs. This policy can cover a variety of treatments, from routine cleaning to oral surgery. Self-employed people can seek coverage through a workplace plan if available through an employer or spouse. However, many purchase these policies independently.

How to get dental insurance if you’re self-employed 

Self-employed people have two options for getting dental coverage:

Get dental coverage through your existing health insurance plan 

Some traditional health insurance plans let you add dental coverage to the policy. Insurers often provide bundle savings if you bundle policies like this. Plus, you can streamline your policy management by working with one insurer for both policies.

Purchase an individual dental insurance plan 

If your current policy doesn’t let you add dental insurance or the policy doesn’t offer the coverage you need, you can purchase an individual plan from another insurer, such as Aflac. Individual dental plans vary in coverage, premiums, exclusions, and other features. Compare quotes and coverage to find a policy that suits your needs.

Types of dental insurance for the self-employed

Self-employed people can choose from several types of dental insurance plans, each offering benefits and considerations:

DHMO insurance plan¹

A Dental Health Maintenance Organization plan, or DHMO, requires choosing a primary care dentist to coordinate care. Under these plans, you must obtain a referral from your primary care provider to see specialists. Out-of-network providers are rarely covered, meaning you will likely have to pay full price if your provider isn’t in the network. However, DHMO plans tend to have lower premiums and no deductibles. When you seek treatment, you’ll likely pay coinsurance and copays.

DPPO insurance plan¹

A Dental Preferred Provider Organization plan, or DPPO, charges higher premiums than DHMO plans. Plus, you may have to meet a deductible before coverage kicks in, and annual maximums can limit your yearly coverage. However, DPPO networks tend to be broader, and you don’t need referrals from your primary care dentist to visit specialists. DPPO plans may offer partial coverage for out-of-network providers, too. Overall, these plans provide more flexibility than others in exchange for higher costs.

Dental discount plan²

Dental discount plans are technically not insurance policies. Instead, they are typically membership programs that offer discounts on various dental procedures. To stay in the plan, you can pay a simple annual fee. In exchange, you can receive a card that grants you lower rates on covered services.

Dental discount plans don’t often offer significant coverage on some basic and major services, but the annual fee is quite low. Therefore, these could be helpful if you only need preventative care and want to minimize costs.