A voluntary (employee-paid) dental plan is a group dental plan where you (the employee) pay most or all of the premiums. You will benefit, too, because you will usually pay much less for a voluntary plan through your employer than a comparable individual plan.

Why take advantage of your employer’s voluntary dental benefits program?

A voluntary dental program offers you many advantages.

	Lower premiums than individual plans. Voluntary dental benefits can mean reduced rates (offered by your employer) because your premium will be based on group rates. These rates are almost always better than what you would pay if you bought similar dental coverage on your own.
	Health. People with dental benefits are more likely to go to the dentist regularly. Routine checkups and cleanings help keep small dental problems from growing into more expensive, painful ones. Plus, many medical conditions – including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension – have an oral health component. A dentist can detect signs of up to 120 non-dental diseases during an exam.
	Convenience. You pay your premiums through payroll deduction.
	Extras you can’t get with an individual plan. This includes more plan choices, and greater flexibility.
	Low out-of-pocket costs. Many plans cover 100% of preventive care (such as oral exams, cleanings, and X-rays). Plus, Delta Dental works directly with network dentists to establish reduced fees on the member’s behalf. Once you meet your deductible, you’re responsible for the percentage of that reduced fee, not the dentist’s full fee.

 

 

Here’s an example: Both you and Jane get crowns from the same dentist. Jane, who doesn’t have Delta Dental benefits, pays the dentist’s full $1,350 fee. Your Delta Dental PPO plan covers crowns at 50%. This means your out-of-pocket cost amounts to 50% of the lower Delta Dental PPO negotiated rate. You pay just $470 for your crown - $880 less that what Jane paid!

Not sure if you should join your employer's voluntary plan option?

Compare the costs and benefits of two similar voluntary and individual plans below.

Summary of Benefit: Delta Dental pays the below percentages of your dentist's charges after you pay your deductible and coinsurance (where required).

Benefits	Employee paid - premium voluntary plan example	Best selling premium individual plan example
Average monthly cost for the plan	$55.27	$75.54
Plan year maximum per person per plan year	$2,000	$2,000
Deductible per person/per family (excluding P&D)	$50/$150	$100
Preventive Care Cleanings, exam, x-rays	100%	100%
Sealants per tooth (through age 14)	100%	100%
Fillings	80%	80%
Root canal	80%	80%
Removable dentures	50%	50%
Crowns	50%	50%
Implants	50%	50%
Non-surgical extractions	50%	50%
Orthodontics	Not covered	Not covered
Annual contract	Yes	No
Waiting periods	None	May apply

*These are benefit highlights only. Monthly premiums shown are examples only of our lowest monthly rates for voluntary and individual coverage (subscriber only). Actual rates vary based on plan choice.