Kentucky Retired Teachers Dental Insurance

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Best For Largest Provider Network: Aetna

Proposed changes to Kentucky teachers’ retirement plan

Aetna

Aetna boasts a tremendous network of 120,000 providers, which puts it well above the competition in this review and makes it easy and convenient to find the right dentist in your area.

  • Largest provider network with 120,000 providers

  • No waiting period for preventive services

  • Six-month waiting period for basic services including fillings and extractions

  • Limited coverage in Massachusetts

  • Limited plan options

Aetna has been providing dental benefits for over 50 years and serves almost 13 million dental members. Aetna has the most far-reaching provider network of our review, with more than 120,000 practitioners to choose from, which makes it especially easy for seniors to find a nearby dentist without the need to travel too far.

Aetnas dental plans are available in most states they offer online account management that allows you to get cost estimates, find an in-network dentist online, as well as check claims and statements.

There are two coverage tiers for seniors to choose from: the Preferred PPO and the lower-tiered Core PPO plan. There is a $50 deductible per person or $150 deductible for a family per calendar year.

Preventive services never have a waiting period, basic services have a six-month waiting period, and major services have a 12-month waiting period. Waiting periods may be waived with proof of prior dental insurance.

How Much Does Dental Insurance Cost For Seniors

The average cost of dental insurance for seniors can start as low as $20 per month for very basic preventive plans for routine services like cleanings, x-rays, and check-ups. Costs can go up to around $80 a month for full-access coverage, including preventive, basic, and major dental work. Your choice of waiting periods, level of coverage , and whether you will use in-network dentists will make a difference in the premium you pay.

How Should You Compare Dental Insurance Plans For Seniors

When comparing dental insurance plans, there are a few important factors that you should consider. These include:

  • Cost: Look for plans with low premiums and deductibles.
  • Coverage limits: If you know youre likely to need major dental work in the future, you should choose a plan with a high maximum coverage limit.
  • Availability: Look for a provider that has availability in your area and a large network.
  • Waiting periods: The best dental plans have short waiting periods that allow you to get the coverage you need when you need it.

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What Does Dental Insurance Typically Exclude

The most affordable dental insurance plans typically exclude coverage for basic and major services and only cover preventive care such as cleanings. Here are some examples of excluded coverages:

  • Basic services like fillings or major services like crowns or bridges
  • Cosmetic work
  • Natural or alternative treatments like acupuncture
  • Some companies limit anesthesia in certain circumstances
  • Many companies exclude orthodontics, even on their top-tier plans
  • Pain management may be limited or excluded and subject to frequency limits and waiting periods
  • Pre-existing conditions

Once you reach the annual coverage maximum, you will receive no more coverage, and additional work will be excluded until the next year.

When considering exclusions on dental insurance, remember that you have various choices of coverage. Dental insurance plans vary depending on the provider, with the least expensive plans often providing only very limited preventive or routine services. The benefit level you choose will determine how much coverage you have vs. how much work will be paid out of pocket.

Here is an overview of what each type of coverage is typically defined as.

Osteoporosis Medications & Oral Health

Early Head Start Teacher

For people who take bone-strengthening medications such as those used to treat osteoporosis, related osteonecrosis of the jaw can develop after dental treatments that involve the bone. This is known as antiresorptive therapy and is common today. Let’s take a look at this connection between certain medications and oral health.

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We Got Them Back For You

Our association works hard to protect your pension AND your insurance benefits. This is one of the main advantages of being a member and one of the main reasons we are here for you!

Thanks to our trusted partner, Association Member Benefits Advisors , members are eligible for exclusive supplemental insurance. Get special group rates on dental, vision, long-term care, cancer, heart, stroke, life insurance, and other policies.

If youve had trouble getting supplemental insurance at a reasonable rate, heres your chance! Best of all, it’s easy – you can enroll online or by phone.

  • Choose from thousands of eye doctors nationwide.
  • One-stop convenience for eye exams and eyewear, your local Walmart included.
  • Great Benefits and Low Copays:
  • WellVision Exam covered every 12 months with a $15 copay.
  • Prescription Eyeglasses with a $25 copay.
  • Frames covered every 24 months
  • $150 allowance on wide selection of frames
  • $170 allowance for featured brands
  • 20% savings on amount over allowance
  • Lenses covered every 12 months.
  • Single vision, lined bifocal & lined trifocal lenses
  • 100% coverage on Progressive lenses
  • 20-25% saving on non-covered lens enhancements such as anti-reflective and UV coating
  • Contact Lens Exam covered every 12 months .
  • 20% savings on additional glasses and sunglasses.
  • Access To Affordable Health Insurance

    The Kentucky Employee Health Plan is a public health plan offered to all public employees in Kentucky. As a self-funded plan, the KEHP is advertised as by public workers, for public workers, ensuring coverage for you and your family members.

    The KEHP offers teachers several different plans to choose from, each with differing costs and levels of coverage. Depending on your exact needs, youll be able to choose a plan that works best for you.

    Commonwealth Standard PPOThis plan offers lower premiums to teachers, but they must pay higher deductibles and co-insurance percentages as a trade off.

    Commonwealth Maximum ChoiceThe Maximum Choice plan includes a KEHP-funded Health Reimbursement Account. Your account acts as a debit card, allowing you to pay for expenses at physicians offices, pharmacies, and hospitals.

    Commonwealth Capital Choice

    Commonwealth Optimum PPOA traditional PPO plan featuring larger paycheck reductions in exchange for lower out-of-pocket costs.

    Prescription drug coverage and dental insurance options are offered in all plans. Additional covered services include:

    • Physician Care

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    Best For Affordable Options: Humana

    Humana

    Humana offers several plan options with loyalty advantages, lifetime deductibles, and the ability to add vision coverage. With so many options to choose from, Humana is our top pick for the best affordable options because seniors can find the plan that meets their needs and budgets.

    • Several plans to choose from

    • Waiting periods may be waived with proof of prior insurance

    • Loyalty plans with increasing maximum benefits

    • Some plans offer lifetime deductibles

    • Six-month waiting period for fillings

    • Annual plan maximum $1,000 in the first year

    • Some states charge enrollment fees of $35

    • Not all plans are available in all states

    Founded in 1961 with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, Humana has a long history in health insurance. Their excellent reputation has earned them a solid A- financial strength rating from AM Best. Humana’s complaints trend with the NAIC shows them receiving a slightly above average number of complaints.

    Humana offers dental insurance plans in most states and with several options, whether you want a preventive-only policy or more extensive coverage.

    There’s a variety of options from Humana that will help save you money, and you can find exactly which ones fit your personal needs and work within your budget. For instance, you can add vision coverage to your plan for as little as $17 per month on average.

    Health Care Designed For Teachers

    Northern Kentucky teachers hold walk-ins to protest pension plan and education funding

    Plan administrators can work with UnitedHealthcare to choose a plan for teachers and staff. Combining school districts knowledge of what is important to their teachers with UnitedHealthcares experience helps to make informed decisions and create tailored plans. Drawing on years of experience and thousands of employees served, experts use historical trends to guide health care plans.

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    Fr 44 Insurance Virginia

    1. SR-22/SR26 Financial Responsibility Certification Virginia FR-44 certification is required for the following convictions: FR-44 liability insurance coverage limits are double the SR-22 insurance coverage limits set It is a form that certifies the driver has coverage that meets the minimum liability requirements in the state. On the

    Best For Annual Maximums: Renaissance Dental

    Renaissance

    With a high annual maximum of $3,000, Renaissance Dental is a good choice for seniors who have a major dental expense coming up.

    • Plans with no waiting period

    • Participating dentists submit the claim for you

    • Loyalty program with increasing annual maximums

    • Possibility to bundle dental with vision care

    • Cleanings covered up to twice a year on some plans

    • Annual maximum of $3,000 is only available in the Max Plus Plan

    • Can be expensive depending on the state

    • No orthodontics for seniors

    Renaissance was founded in 1957 and covers over 13 million people for dental, vision, life, and disability insurance. They have an AM Best Financial Strength Rating of A+ as of May 2020.

    Premiums for Renaissance plans can vary a lot. You can see your price on their website.

    Renaissance has no waiting periods on cleanings on any plan. Nor is there a waiting period for fillings or crowns on the MAX Choice Plan and MAX Choice Plus.Annual maximums range from $1000 on their very basic plans up to $3,000 on the top tier plan. There is a $50 deductible for individual plans and a $150 deductible for family plans.

    Some of Renaissances basic plans exclude major work like root canals or crowns. However, they do offer other plans that provide 20% coverage in the first year. If you remain insured with them, they reward loyalty with a coverage increase on major work each year, up to year three, when they provide up to 50% coverage for major work.

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    Best For Fast Coverage: United Healthcare

    United Healthcare

    With no waiting periods on all four dental plans designed for seniors, United Healthcare is a great choice for seniors looking for immediate coverage.

    • Can add vision as a rider on the dental plan

    • Hearing aids/exams included in the dental plan

    • No waiting periods on many services

    • Direct payment to in-network dentists

    • No maximum age limit

    • Only offered in 47 states plus the District of Columbia

    • Out-of-network coverage is more expensive and less convenient

    UnitedHealthcare has been in business since 1974 and has a Moodys rating of A1, stable. UnitedHealthcare dental insurance is available in 47 states plus the District of Columbia. They offer four Dental Gen Plans, as they’re known, that are very specifically tailored to the needs of seniors.

    Gen policies come with senior-friendly options, such as adding vision and hearing aid benefits to your dental package and enjoying day-one coverage for many services. The basic Gen Saver Dental plan is the cheapest option. Moving up there is the Gen Plus Dental and then the Gen Basic Dental. Lastly, the top-tier Gen Deluxe Dental is the premier option.

    Some other features and benefits include:

    Coverage is excluded outside the United States, except for dental emergencies. Teeth that were missing before the policy starts are also excluded. There is no coverage for replacing full or partial dentures, crowns, inlays, onlays, and bridges within 60 months of the last replacement.

    How Should Seniors Use Dental Insurance

    DENTAL ASSISTANT dia chu

    As a senior, its important to stay on top of preventive care in order to prevent future dental problems down the line. Many dental insurance plans offer free preventive care services with no waiting period. If you know youll need dental work in the future, its a good idea to purchase dental insurance as soon as possible since some plans have waiting periods of up to two years for major services.

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    Does My Insurance Cover Lasik

    1. Does Insurance Cover LASIK? LasikPlus LASIK is often considered an elective surgery. At LasikPlus we offer insurance discounts, we are a preferred provider for EyeMed, Aetna, Cigna and more. Dec 11, 2021 Some health insurance plans, unfortunately, deem LASIK and laser vision correction procedures elective meaning

    Best Value: Delta Dental

    Delta Dental

    Delta Dental offers plans geared toward seniors either through the AARP and directly on their website. They provide a lot of information and resources for retirees on their site, and they were one of the few insurers we reviewed offering immediate coverage for fillings, denture repair, tooth removal, and root canals in the AARP Plan.

    • No waiting periods for many services

    • Guaranteed acceptance for AARP members

    • 12 month waiting period for major work on some plans

    • PPO plans feature deductibles and maximums

    Delta Dental is the leading provider of dental insurance in the U.S., offering coverage in all states and serving over 80 million Americans. Delta Dental is a not-for-profit organization made up of 39 independent Delta Dental companies. They have an AM Best financial strength rating of A .

    Delta Dental has contracted with AARP to provide members with special pricing to help seniors fit dental insurance into their budgets, and there are HMO and PPO plans available. The HMO is the cheapest option, followed by the PPO B, and lastly, the PPO A is the most expensive option. The PPO plans allow you to choose any dentist, while the HMO plan utilizes a network of dental facilities.

    There is no annual maximum and no deductible on the DeltaCare USA plan. The PPO plans have an annual maximum of $1,000 to $1,500 with deductibles ranging from $40 to $90 depending on service and plan.

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    Is Paying For Dental Insurance As A Senior Worth It

    Regular preventive care and treatment contribute to helping you maintain a better quality of life. Dental work such as cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, or most dental devices are not covered by Medicare and can be expensive. Finding an affordable dental insurance company is important if you are not prepared to pay these costs out of pocket.

    For example, bridgework can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000. Dental insurance with benefit caps may not cover the entire cost but will help offset it. If you anticipate needing dental work, youll want to run some numbers to see how much you would anticipate paying with the premiums plus any copays and out-of-pocket costs compared to the cost of the work to determine its overall value to you.

    Best For Provider Flexibility: Aflac

    Kentucky teachers protest cuts to retirement benefits

    Aflac

    Aflac allows you to visit the dentist of your choice and does not restrict your access to a network, making them our top pick for best senior dental insurance with provider flexibility.

    Pros & Cons

    • Patients can visit any dentist

    • No deductibles by year 3

    • Direct reimbursement

    • Availability varies by state

    Aflac has been a trusted name in supplemental health and dental coverage since 1955. They insure over 50 million people and have a Moodys debt rating of A3, as well as a record of low complaints with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners . Aflac pays claim reimbursements directly to you, not the dentist, opening up a national network of dentists for flexibility and convenience. They offer online policy management with access to other supplemental insurance coverage, such as vision plans.

    Aflac waiting periods are defined per service category, which is found in the schedule of benefits. For example, there is no waiting period for a dental wellness visit or x-rays. Pain relief has a three-month waiting period, extractions and root canals have a six-month waiting period, and dentures have a 24-month waiting period. Annual maximums vary by plan we found examples up to $1,600.

    Aflac has many exclusions that relate to pre-existing conditions or work done within recent time periods. For example, missing teeth before the start of coverage are not covered.

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    Life Vs Ad& d Insurance

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    Best For Preventive Care: Cigna

    Cigna

    We selected Cigna as the best for preventive care because they are not only affordable, but they have $0 deductible and $0 copay preventive dental plans and make life easy with 24/7 customer service and zero-paperwork claims.

    • In-network preventive care paid at 100%

    • No waiting period for preventive/diagnostic care

    • Online claims handling and an app to manage claims

    • 24/7 service and access to a health information line

    • Basic plan only covers preventive services

    • $1,000/$1,500 maximum annual benefit

    Cigna has been in business for more than 225 years and currently serves over 17 million U.S. dental insurance customers individually and through employee benefit programs. AM Best gives Cigna an A rating for financial strength. Cigna was our number-one choice for best for preventive care for seniors based on several factors, which include:

    • No deductible and no copay for preventive care that includes cleanings and routine x-rays
    • A nationwide network of over 92,000+ dentists
    • No need to file claims in-networkyour dentist does it for you
    • Their Brighter Score tool rates dentists based on affordability and patient experience
    • 24/7/365 customer support and more

    There is a six-month waiting period for basic coverages and 12 months for major work. If you have 12 months of prior continuous insurance with another provider, you can make the switch to Cigna, and the waiting periods may be waived.

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    Enroll In Dental & Vision Plans In 4 Easy Steps

    • Keep your dentist or choose an In-Network dentist and save
    • Over 400,000 providers to choose from, whether home or away
    • No waiting period get access right away
    • Covers exams, cleanings, fillings, crowns, and more
    • High annual maximum that can increase after one year

    Use your current dentist OR Save 25-50% with a dentist in our network. Find a dentist

    1 January, 2022 to 31 December, 2023.

    Get quality coverage on the vision services you need:

    • Thousands of eye doctors nationwide
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