Why Choose Delta Dental Insurance
Years of Experience
Decades worth of experience in the individual dental market.
Save Money
Delta has a wide selection of affordable plans.
Choice of Providers
Delta has one of the largest dental provider networks.
The largest dental insurance provider in the United States
In this article
Below are links to the major topics in this article:
Company Overview & Coverage Options
A fundamental question for consumers shopping for dental insurance is "Will my dentist take my coverage?" because insurance is only as good as dental professionals who accept it. In other words, how good are a plan's dental benefits if they're rejected by your preferred dentist and oral surgeon and orthodontist?
Delta Dental has the distinction of being the single largest dental insurance provider in the United States with over 80 million people enrolled across the plans offered by Delta Dental entities. The company leverages this scale of enrollees to attract a large number of dentists to their networks. According to the company, 128,000 dentists and over 198,000 office locations accept one or more Delta Dental plans. Insurance acceptance differs by plan type. For example, Delta Dental PPO has a national network of more than 68,000 dentists practicing in over 119,000 locations. In comparison, their DeltaCare USA offering has just 22,000 dentist office locations, about a fifth of the number of PPO network locations.
The Delta Dental parent company, Delta Dental Plans Association, is a not-for-profit organization. It was originally formed in 1966, but its earliest precursor began in Washington State in 1954. The company has proven very stable over the years, enjoying enormous market growth in the decades following its creation. By 2008, total premium revenue was around $15 billion. By the same year, Delta Dental member companies processed over 81 million dental claims, or approximately 1.5 million every week, with an accuracy rate of 99.5 percent. The organization itself is comprised of 39 independent companies such as Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental of New York, Delta Dental of North Carolina, and the Hawaii Dental Service. Not surprisingly, Delta Dental plans are available in every one of the United States as well as Puerto Rico and some other U.S. territories. The brand's success with consumers has enabled them to contribute significant sums to philanthropic dental care efforts. The member companies of Delta Dental contributed $79 million in 2018 to community programs across the country expanding access to oral care to underserved populations. In total, 11 million people were helped through 1,700 separate programs.
Plan Options
Delta Dental has a broad portfolio of plan options for consumers to consider. The plans differ not just on deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for services but also breadth of features and the maximum amount of dental expenses to be covered during a single plan year. Since plan options differ by state, we will use Delta Dental plans available within a single state to illustrate our point.
A very affordably priced Dental for Everyone Gold PPO has the following out-of-pocket costs in 2022 during the first year of coverage (note - this plan increases its coverage from the first year of enrollment to the third year of continuous enrollment):
| Procedure | 1st Year of Coverage for In-Network Dental Care | |
| Plan Coverage After Deductible | Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs | |
| Cleaning (2x Annually) | 60 to 100% (coverage percentage increases across 3 years) | 40% to 0% |
| White Filling | 50% to 80% (coverage percentage increases across 3 years) | 50% to 20% |
| Crown | 0% to 50% (coverage percentage increases across 3 years) | 100% to 50% |
| Root Canals | 0% to 50% (coverage percentage increases across 3 years) | 100% to 50% |
| Simple Extractions | 0% to 50% (coverage percentage increases across 3 years) | 100% to 50% |
| Orthodontia | Not Covered Service | 100% |
| Annual Maximum Benefit* | $1,000 | Expenses (beyond normal cost-sharing) for covered care exceeding $1,000 in the first year of coverage |
| Waiting Periods | 6 months on basic dental services, 12 months on major dental services | N/A |
| Deductible | $50 per insured person per calendar year | $50 per person per enrollee |
| * The Annual Maximum Benefit is the highest amount that the insurer will spend on an enrollee's covered dental services within a 12-month period | ||
Our comparison plan is the higher cost Immediate Coverage Plan PPO, which is also from Delta Dental. The Immediate Coverage Plan PPO has the below out-of-pocket costs during the first year of coverage during 2022. As was the case for the Dental for Everyone Gold PPO, the Immediate Coverage Plan PPO increases coverage from the first year of enrollment to the third year of continuous enrollment.
| Procedure | 1st Year of Coverage for In-Network Dental Care | |
| Plan Coverage After Deductible | Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs | |
| Cleaning (2x Annually) | 100% | 0% |
| White Filling | 50% | 50% |
| Crown | 25% | 75% |
| Root Canals | 25% | 75% |
| Simple Extractions | 50% | 50% |
| Orthodontia | 12-month waiting period and then in the 2nd year – 50% after deductible and a $1500 Lifetime maximum per eligible dependent child. | 50% after deductible and up until the lifetime maximum is reached. |
| Annual Maximum Benefit* | $3,000 | Expenses (beyond normal cost-sharing) for covered care exceeding $3,000 for each enrollee |
| Waiting Periods | None for preventive, basic, and major dental care. 12 months for orthodontic services | N/A |
| Deductible | No deductible for preventive, basic, and major dental care. $150 Lifetime Orthodontia Deductible | |
| * The Annual Maximum Benefit is the highest amount that the insurer will spend on an enrollee's covered dental services within a 12-month period. | ||
When comparing the two plans above we observe several differences. Immediate Coverage Plan PPO, while having a higher premium, also has lower out-of-pocket costs than the Dental for Everyone Gold PPO for various dental services (e.g. crowns, root canals). It also has a higher maximum benefit. Lastly, while both plans do not have orthodontic coverage in the first year, the Immediate Coverage Plan PPO does have care for orthodontic services beginning in the second year of continuous enrollment.
A Reputation Built on Trust
See why our Delta Dental Customers trust us to help them find the right plan
The customer service representatives…
The customer service representatives are knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. I was not sure what plan to select; however, the representative advised me to speak to a salesperson to further assist me with selecting a plan, and I am happy I did. She answered my questions and at no time I felt pressured or obligated to select a certain plan.Zenaida Munoz
Great Company
Their online info is very clear showing policy inclusions and exclusions and their phone customer service is also amazing. They answer the phone and call back...seems like stateside phone customer service, at least for the sign up part.Patricia Holman
Issues to Consider When Shopping
Not all dental benefits are equal. Some are more relevant to your personal oral health circumstances than others. For example, a person with straight teeth will find orthodontic benefits less significant than a person with crooked teeth. Consequently, a consumer considering a Delta Dental plan should evaluate the different options in light of what their needs are as well as what services may be likely. A final consideration concerns dental care that may not be anticipated but still may happen. Oral health events like cracked molar or an impacted wisdom tooth don't always provide the early warnings we would prefer. Given these possibilities, it is important to ask the following types of questions of a dental plan you are considering for purchase:
- How would the plan cover an unexpected event like breaking a tooth and requiring a crown?
- How would the plan address the need for a partial denture?
- What is the highest amount of dental expenses the plan will cover in a year?
* Delta Dental is coverage underwritten by Delta Dental Insurance Company and available to members of Benefits Association Inc, in the Enterprise states. (AL, CA, DC, DE, FL, GA, LA, MS, MT, NV, PA, TX, UT and WV)
Need some help choosing a dental plan?
Our agents can:
- Answer your questions
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More From DentalInsurance.com...
What Is Preventive Dental Care?
How Do I Find a Dentist?
In order to minimize your out-of-pocket costs for dental care, you should seek a dentist who is in-network for your dental plan. Your dental plan’s website should provide information on dentists who participate in its network. In the case of indemnity dental insurance, the plan may not have a dentist network.
Will Medicare Cover my Dental Needs?
Original Medicare (i.e. Part A and Part B) do not include dental benefits. However, many Medicare Advantage plans do offer some level of dental coverage.
Can I Enroll Any Time of Year?
Privately purchased dental insurance does not have an enrollment period. In other words, consumers are free to apply for coverage whenever they choose. Group plans offered by employers, in contrast, normally have an enrollment period that determines the dates in which dental benefits may be added or deleted.
Can I Add a Child to an Existing Policy or Do I Need to Buy a New Plan?
In most cases a person should be able to update an existing dental plan when a dependent child is added. Depending on the state and the plan, the age of the children may affect their eligibility to be added.
Is Delta Dental Insurance Available in Every State?
Yes. The Delta Dental Plans Association offer dental insurance in every state and the District of Columbia (i.e. Washington D.C.). The Delta Dental Plans Association is a a not-for-profit national association based in Illinois. Through all its various companies, the Delta Dental Plans Association provides coverage o 85 million people.
Below is a list of the companies within the Delta Dental Plans Association. In cases where a single company services multiple states, the associated states are noted.
| Delta Dental | ||
Delta Dental Insurance Company
Delta Dental of Arizona, Inc. Delta Dental of Arkansas, Inc. Delta Dental of California Delta Dental of Colorado Delta Dental of Delaware Delta Dental of Idaho Delta Dental of Illinois Delta Dental of Indiana, Inc. Delta Dental of Iowa |
Delta Dental of Kansas, Inc. Delta Dental of Kentucky, Inc. Delta Dental of Massachusetts, Inc. Delta Dental of Michigan, Inc. Delta Dental of Minnesota
Delta Dental of Missouri
Delta Dental of Nebraska Delta Dental of New Jersey
Delta Dental of New Mexico, Inc. Delta Dental of New York Delta Dental of North Carolina Delta Dental of Ohio Delta Dental of Oklahoma Delta Dental of Oregon
|
Delta Dental of Pennsylvania
Delta Dental of Rhode Island Delta Dental of South Dakota Delta Dental of Tennessee, Inc. Delta Dental of the District of Columbia Delta Dental of Virginia Delta Dental of Washington Delta Dental of West Virginia Delta Dental of Wisconsin Delta Dental of Wyoming Delta Dental Plan of Maine Delta Dental Plan of New Hampshire Delta Dental Plan of Vermont Hawaii Dental Service |
SOURCE: https://www.deltadental.com/us/en/about-us/delta-dental-member-companies.html
