Dental health insurance

Besides the fear of the drill, the thought of the subsequent bill makes many knees tremble. To make sure that you don't have to spend your holiday money on the next dental bill, we have summarised here what you should look out for in dental insurance:

 

 

What does the health insurance pay?

 

Your health insurance pays for services that it considers "sufficient and appropriate". For example, if you have a hole in your molar, only the costs for a cheaper amalgam filling will be covered - higher-quality plastic fillings have to be paid for by the patient. The problem: the more expensive solution is usually nicer and gentler on the teeth, but for many, the co-payment for the standard treatment alone is a challenge. A survey by the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) found that one in eight Germans is therefore walking around with a gap between their teeth.

 

 

When is the best time to purchase additional dental insurance?

 

Consumer protectors advise people to take out additional dental insurance - as long as their teeth are healthy, because when the dentist finds out that something needs to be done, it is already too late. This is because the insurance company will not pay if problems were already present when the policy was purchased, and it is hardly possible to conceal this. At the latest when the patient presents a large bill to the insurance company, the person in charge will ask the doctor. To do this, the patient must release the dentist from his or her duty of confidentiality vis-à-vis the insurance company. If it turns out that the patient already had dental problems before the contract was signed, the insurance company will refuse to pay. Apart from that, insurance companies often do not pay immediately after conclusion of the contract, but reserve a period of several months. Only after this period does the company pay any part of the costs. So: The early bird catches the worm!

 

What does additional dental insurance pay for?

 

To understand in more detail what benefits are covered by supplementary dental insurance, it is worth taking another look at the benefits provided by the statutory health insurance. Since 2005, they only contribute a fixed cost allowance, which, as already mentioned, is based on the costs of standard care, i.e. the most appropriate and cost-effective form of treatment. As a rule, the statutory health insurance fund ultimately covers 50% of the costs of this standard treatment. This coverage increases to 60% or 65% if regular check-ups are documented over a period of 5 to 10 years. Regardless of whether you decide to have the most favourable treatment or a more expensive one - the costs covered by the health insurance remain the same. But now let's look at supplementary dental insurance, because they calculate their benefits differently. They usually reimburse a certain percentage of the actual treatment costs. This "reimbursement percentage" depends on the tariff you choose. Simple insurance plans cover up to 50%, top plans even up to 100% - but the insurance premiums are correspondingly high.

 

 

Which supplementary dental insurance is best for me?

 

Basically, you can choose between two types of supplementary insurance. On the one hand, there are tariffs according to the type of life insurance and on the other hand according to the type of non-life insurance. The difference here is the calculation of the premiums. Most contracts are constructed according to non-life insurance, which means that the premium increases gradually with age. The difference between this and life insurance is that premiums are higher from the start, but an age reserve is formed for this. This means that part of the money is set aside for later, when more work needs to be done on the teeth. This sounds very reasonable, but it has a disadvantage: the insured person is tied to the insurer. If you wanted to choose a different provider after a while, you would lose your age provision.

 

 

How do I choose the best supplementary insurance for me?

 

According to Stiftung Warentest, when choosing a tariff, you should consider how much the insurance pays for dentures, as these are particularly expensive. You should also pay attention to which other additional benefits are covered by the provider. For many people, the (annual) coverage of professional dental cleaning is particularly interesting. First of all, you should be aware of which services are possible for you. There are various online portals that compare providers and tariffs and help you find the right supplementary dental insurance. Just take a look around and compare, we also have a great offer for you.