The TruAssure Buyer’s Guide: Your Options, Simplified INSIDE THIS EBOOK: o Why Buy Dental Insurance? o What You Need to Know to Buy Insurance o Choosing An Insurance Plan: Questions to Ask o TruAssure Offerings o How to Enroll Dental insurance allows you and your family to maximize your oral health while minimizing your out-of-pocket costs for dental treatments. TruAssure offers dental insurance that is truly affordable and hassle-free, and we believe that choosing a plan that suits your needs should be simple and straightforward, too. Read this ebook to learn about specific TruAssure plans and discover how to determine which one is best for you.
Transcript
The TruAssure Buyer’s Guide:
Your Options, Simplified
INSIDE THIS EBOOK:
o Why Buy Dental Insurance?
o What You Need to Know to Buy Insurance
o Choosing An Insurance Plan: Questions to Ask
o TruAssure Offerings
o How to Enroll
Dental insurance allows you and your family to maximize your oral health while minimizing your out-of-pocket costs for dental treatments. TruAssure offers dental insurance that is truly affordable and hassle-free, and we believe that choosing a plan that suits your needs should be simple and straightforward, too. Read this ebook to learn about specific TruAssure plans and discover how to determine which one is best for you.
www.truassure.com2
Your oral health is more directly connected to your overall health than you might realize. Did you know dentists can often spot early indicators of many serious health conditions during a dental exam, including diabetes, oral cancer and heart disease?
Routine dental cleanings and exams are an important part of keeping your teeth and mouth healthy, and can help detect problems that can be addressed before they turn into larger issues that require more complex and costly treatment.
After all, no one wants to deal with a root canal or tooth extraction and larger out-of-pocket costs than necessary on top of it. Good oral health is not only good for your overall health, but also your well-being. It’s a confidence booster, and so is the peace of mind that comes with carrying insurance that helps you avoid unplanned dental expenses. Now that’s something to smile about.
Why Buy Dental Insurance?
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Don’t let confusing insurance terms scare you away from finding a great dental insurance plan. Educate yourself so you can make the choice that best fits your needs.
Deductible: The deductible is the amount that you have to pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in. For example, if you purchase a TruAssure plan with a $75 deductible, you will be responsible for the first $75 of dental costs you incur in a year, after which time your TruAssure benefits will begin covering the applicable percentage of your dental expenses.
Take note: your monthly premium is separate from your deductible.
Monthly Premium: This is the monthly payment you make to maintain your dental insurance coverage. Whether you receive dental care in a given month or not, you pay the same fixed premium.
Annual Maximum: An annual maximum is the largest amount that your dental insurance carrier will cover in a single year. For example, if your annual maximum is $2,000, once TruAssure has paid $2,000 in benefits, you will be responsible for any dental care expenses above that amount.
Out-of-pocket costs: This is just what it sounds like: how much you’ll pay out of your own pocket for the dental care you receive, above and beyond what TruAssure covers.
What You Need to Know to Buy Insurance
Truth Tip #173:
If you see a bold term throughout this ebook, look for its definition on this page or on page 4.
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Waiting period: This is how long you have to wait before your insurance will contribute for certain types of treatments. Some of TruAssure’s plans have shorter waiting periods for major services than the plans offered by many other dental insurance carriers, allowing you to pay less out of pocket for the care you need. Coinsurance: With TruAssure, as with other dental insurance, you share the costs of your dental care with your insurance carrier. Coinsurance is the percentage of dental treatment costs for which you are responsible. For example, TruAssure may cover 80% of the cost of a filling, and you would pay the remaining 20%. You pay coinsurance even after a deductible is reached.
In-network provider*: An in-network provider is a dentist who is part of your insurance carrier’s dentist network and has already established the costs for their services with your insurance carrier. You will typically save money by visiting an in-network dentist. TruAssure offers plans with access to one of the largest dental networks in the country. You can find in-network providers here.
Out-of-network provider: An out-of-network provider has no existing relationship with your insurance carrier. You can still make an appointment, but your out-of-pocket costs may be higher and you may receive less insurance coverage.
What You Need to Know to Buy Insurance cont.
*All TruAssure dental plans, other than Basic and Preferred dental plans, are offered in association with the DenteMax Plus dental network arrangement, which includes participating dentists from the DenteMax, United Concordia and Connection dental networks. TruAssure Basic and Preferred dental plans for both group and individual members are offered in association with the DenteMax dental network.
When selecting an insurance plan for yourself or your family, consider the following:
• What dental services did you require last year?
• How much did you end up paying for them?
• What types of dental services do you anticipate needing this year?
• Will anyone in your family need orthodontia in the near future?
• How big is your family?
• Do you have kids?
• What are their ages?
• How do the costs of the care you anticipate needing compare to the costs of a monthly premium and deductible for each insurance plan you are considering?
• Are you more concerned with minimizing your monthly premium or with minimizing the potential for unexpected costs when you have a need for dental care in the future?
Consider Sally. Sally is a 48-year-old married mother of two young teens who is looking for a plan that fits her family’s unique needs. She knows at least one of her children will need braces within the next year or so, and she worries about her kids’ flossing and brushing habits. Sally and her husband have good oral health overall, but they drink a fair amount of coffee, and they’re interested in dental insurance plans that include teeth-whitening options, if possible.
TruAssure’s plans interest Sally because she’s heard they have options that help with the cost of orthodontics and whitening, and the other dental insurance carriers she has researched do not. She also knows that TruAssure offers three cleanings per year, more than most other insurance carriers. It would give her some peace of mind to know that a professional is keeping a close eye on her kids’ teeth.
Now, consider Joseph.Joseph’s needs are very different from Sally’s. He’s from the same town, but he’s in his late 60s and is single with no dependents. As he grows older, he’s become increasingly conscious of his health, and is looking for a smart way to ensure he gets the dental care he needs.
Though Joseph takes excellent care of his teeth now, poor oral health habits in his younger days have contributed to a history of cavities and the loss of two teeth. Joseph wants dental coverage that will protect his general oral health as he grows older, and wants to learn more about his options for dental implants, a bridge or removable partial dentures to fill the gaps where he lost teeth.
Whether you’re more like Sally, Joseph or Matt, or not much like any of them, there’s a dental insurance plan that fits your needs.
Let’s take a look at the TruAssure options — and at which ones Sally, Joseph and Matt would be most likely to choose.
Consider Matt.Matt is 28 years old, and working a few part-time jobs while he tries to get his own business off the ground. None of his jobs provide dental insurance, so he’s looking for a good option for individual dental insurance. He’d like to keep his costs low but still get the coverage he needs, especially for preventive services, while also having some protection in case he has more extensive dental needs in the future.
Ideally, Matt would like to find a dental insurance company that could grow with him throughout life changes, including insuring his family one day.
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Whether you are looking for insurance for yourself or your family, and whatever your unique oral healthcare needs may be, TruAssure has a plan for you.
Insurance can be confusing, but at TruAssure, we like to keep things as simple and clear as possible. That’s why we offer these plans: Max Savings, Choice and Choice Plus. Let’s take a look.
All TruAssure plans offer two dental exams a year and three dental cleanings, an advantage over the two cleanings typically covered by most dental insurance.
TruAssure Offerings
Truth Tip #204:
TruAssure plans vary slightly by state, so be sure to visit TruAssure.com and search for plans available where you live. TruAssure also has ACA certified plans.
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Max Savings
The Max Savings plan covers 100% of the following preventive services after the deductible:
• Exams (two per year) • Cleanings (three per year) • Bitewing X-rays • Fluoride treatments (under age 14) • Space maintainers (under age 14) • Sealants (under age 14)
After you’ve paid the deductible, the Max Savings plan covers 50% of basic services such as fillings, root canals, gum disease treatment and simple tooth extractions.
For major services — such as complete and partial dentures, crowns and fixed bridge work — Max Savings covers 50% after the deductible and after a 12-month waiting period.
The Max Savings plan is the ideal choice for those who want thorough preventive services, don’t expect to need major services such as crowns, dentures or bridges in the next year, and want to minimize their monthly premium.
TruAssure’s Max Savings plan offers a low deductible — only $50 per individual or $150 per family.
The Choice plan covers 80% of the following preventive services in the first year you are on the plan, 90% in the second year and 100% after that.
• Exams (two per year) • Cleanings (three per year) • Sealants (under age 14)
The Choice plan has no waiting periods for any service. Once the deductible is paid, basic services (simple tooth extractions, bitewing X-rays, and fluoride treatment and space maintainers for children under 14) are covered at 40% in the first year, 55% in the second year and 80% after that. The Choice plan covers major services including dentures, surgical tooth extractions and crowns at 25% in the first year, 35% in the second year and 50% after that.
Unlike many other dental insurance plans, TruAssure’s Choice plan includes teeth whitening. Choice and Choice Plus also offer coverage of dental implants, unlike Max Savings.
Choice is the perfect middle-ground plan for those who anticipate needing dental services that go beyond preventive care, but aren’t looking for services like orthodontia and don’t anticipate needing the high annual maximum offered by a Choice Plus plan.
TruAssure’s Choice plan allows you to choose the annual maximum you need based on your anticipated dental coverage, with a lifetime deductible of only $100 per person.
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Choice Plus
The Choice Plus plan covers 100% of the following preventive services after the $100 lifetime deductible:
• Exams (two per year) • Cleanings (three per year) • Sealants (under age 14)
Basic services (simple tooth extractions, bitewing X-rays, and fluoride treatments and space maintainers for kids under age 14) are covered after deductible at 50% in the first year, 65% in the second year and 80% starting in the third year.
Major services are covered, after deductible, at 25% in the first year and 50% from the second year on. These include:
• Denture relines, rebases and adjustments • Crowns, onlays, post and core • Complete and partial dentures • Fixed bridge work • Fillings (composites covered) • Gum disease treatment • Root canals • Surgical tooth extractions • Teeth whitening • Implants
Unlike most dental insurance plans, TruAssure’s Choice Plus plan offers coverage for orthodontia. It also covers up to $100 in teeth whitening services. As with the Choice plan, there is no waiting period for any type of service with Choice Plus.
+ Like the Choice plan, TruAssure’s Choice Plus plan allows you to choose the annual maximum that fits your needs, with Choice Plus offering annual maximums of up to $5,000.
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Choosing Oral Health Professionals
Remember, even though TruAssure’s plans cover the same percentage of your costs at an in-network or out-of-network dentist, you still get the best deal by seeing in-network providers. That’s because in-network dentists have already agreed to charge pre-arranged prices for given dental services, and out-of-network providers may charge more. In addition, in-network providers cannot bill you the difference between the pre-arranged fee and their regular fee, often referred to as balance billing. An out-of-network provider can balance bill you, leading to additional out-of-pocket costs and expenses. Remember, you can find in-network providers in your area here.*
We offer a variety of plans, including some that meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act - go to our website and search your zip code to see more.
*All TruAssure dental plans, other than Basic and Preferred dental plans, are offered in association with the DenteMax Plus dental network arrangement, which includes participating dentists from the DenteMax, United Concordia and Connection dental networks. TruAssure Basic and Preferred dental plans for both group and individual members are offered in association with the DenteMax dental network.
Remember Matt, Sally and Joseph? Since orthodontics coverage is such a high priority for Sally and her family, she’s going to choose TruAssure’s Choice Plus plan, which provides varying levels of coverage for orthodontia. She’s also happy to see these plans cover teeth whitening, unlike many other plans she’s seen from other insurance carriers. Additionally, she knows she and her family will be covered for the sorts of major services she hopes to avoid but realizes could be needed, such as fillings and root canals.
Joseph is drawn to the TruAssure Max Savings plan, which would keep his costs low while still covering two exams and three cleanings a year, but he ultimately goes with the Choice plan, which offers him the flexibility to get coverage for major services like implants, bridges or partial dentures with no waiting period.
For Matt, the young entrepreneur, TruAssure’s Max Savings plan is an ideal fit. It keeps his monthly premium low while fully covering three cleanings and two exams a year, his main priorities in a dental insurance plan. If he does need a filling, tooth extraction or root canal, the Max Savings plan covers those services too.
What services are most important to you? Take a look at TruAssure’s plans with your needs in mind.
Which plan is right for you?*
*These are hypothetical examples used for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered a plan recommendation. Consumers are encouraged to contact either a licensed insurance agent or our Consumer Direct department for a premium quote based on their individual circumstances. Premiums may be higher or lower depending on actual policy terms.
Do you have questions about dental insurance or our plans? Give us a call at 888-559-0781.
How to Enroll
Are you ready to explore the TruAssure plan that’s right for you or your family? Head to TruAssure.com and enter your zip code to get started.
1212 TruAssure Insurance Company complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, age, disability, gender, or gender identity.
