Dental discount plans and savings memberships: how they differ from insurance

No. MetLife, Anthem, UnitedHealthcare and Delta Dental all say so. You pay a fee for access to reduced prices at participating dentists and pay the dentist directly for care. The plan does not pay any part of the bill, and there is no annual maximum because nothing is being paid out by the plan.

Generally not. UnitedHealthcare says its dental savings memberships generally have no enrollment or waiting period, so you can often start using the discount at once. Confirm the terms of the specific plan, including any enrollment fee, and check that your dentist is in the plan's network before you pay.

Then you pay the full fee. Anthem says that if your dentist does not participate in a discount program, you pay the entire cost of the provider's fees. Discount plans work only at participating offices, so confirm participation with the plan and with the office before you join.

Usually not. MetLife says you don't usually need to file claims because it is not insurance, and Delta Dental says its Patient Direct plan involves no forms. You pay the discounted fee at the visit, so keep the receipt and the fee schedule with your treatment records.

It can cost less each month, and MetLife says a discount plan can have a much lower monthly cost. Whether it costs less overall depends on the treatment. Insurance pays a share of covered care up to the annual maximum, while a discount plan pays none of it. Add up your expected care both ways.

It discounts it. Insurance often covers preventive care in full, while a discount plan lowers the fee and you pay it. Ask the plan for its fee schedule for exams, cleanings and X-rays, and compare it with what the same office charges a patient who has no plan at all.

Usually not for the same service. Terms differ, and insurance contracts often require a network dentist to bill the plan's allowed amount. Ask the office and both plans how they would work together before you rely on it, and get the answer in writing if the treatment is large.

Delta Dental describes it as a dental service discount plan. You pick a participating dentist, pay the discounted fee at the visit and file no forms, and its chart shows no annual maximum and no deductible. It is one of five Delta Dental plan types, and availability varies by state. See our Delta Dental plans guide.

Ask what it is measured against. A discount is real if the fee you pay is lower than what the same office charges patients without a plan, or lower than comparable offices. Ask for the fee schedule in writing and compare a few services you expect to need. Be careful when savings are advertised without a comparison.

Some states regulate them under rules separate from insurance, and the rules vary. Because they are not insurance, they do not have the protections of an insurance contract. Check your state insurance regulator's site for how discount plans are treated where you live, and read the terms of the plan before you pay.

Delta Dental describes it as a dental service discount plan. You pick a participating dentist, pay the discounted fee at the visit and file no forms, and its plan chart shows no annual maximum and no deductible. It is one of Delta Dental's five plan types, and it is not insurance.

Be careful. Because the plan pays none of the bill, you carry the whole discounted fee. Ameritas says a discount plan may be fine in the short term for healthy people who need little care. For a large treatment plan, compare the total with insurance, a payment plan and reduced-cost clinics.