Read through the information below for our best advice and suggestions.

  • THIS ARTICLE does a great job describing dental insurance and helping you decide if it’s worth purchasing.
  • Some people are now eligible for tax credits that lower the price of Marketplace dental insurance plans.
  • If you have gone more than 30 days without dental insurance most plans will have 12 month waiting periods for anything more than preventative benefits. There are some plans that do not have waiting periods. They cost a little more but are great if you know you need work done in the next 12 months. Delta Dental has a plan that starts right away. It is their “Clear Plus Plan”. You can follow THIS LINK to get a quote.
  • If you have workplace coverage that is ending you can call your current dental insurance provider and ask them if you can transition into an individual plan.
  • If waiting periods are not an issue and you’re just looking for a standard plan, you can call your dentist’s office and ask them if they have any companies they recommend. Look those companies up and see if they offer a plan that fits your needs and budget. You should be able to enroll directly through the carrier’s website. You could also ask your dentist what their cash prices are like for dental care and if they have an in-house insurance plan.
  • There are a lot of different companies that offer dental insurance. I prefer to work with Delta Dental. This is who I use for our family’s coverage and I’ve been happy with them. As I noted above, I recommend the Clear Plan If you think you need work soon (no waiting periods). Premium, Enhanced, or Basic Plans are great if you don’t think you’ll need major work done soon. If you currently have dental insurance or it recently ended, just put that on the application and the waiting periods should be waived. You can get a quote, compare plans, and enroll HERE

Don’t have a dentist and want less expensive options?…

  • There are dentist around town that list exam/cleaning prices around $60. Remember that you can sign up for Dental insurance at any month of the year. If you get an exam and they say you need work done you can sign up for the first of next month with the Delta Dental Clear Plan
  • VCU Dental School– can eat up your time waiting but has financial aid based prices.
  • The Daily Planet has sliding scale based on your income
  • Medicaid now has dental services.

Vision

  • As an individual Vision insurance is not always cost effective.
  • When you’re considering vision insurance it would be good to think about what you actually need. A lot of people are satisfied paying cash for their exams at places like Walmart and America’s Best. You can take a prescription from there and shop around online for inexpensive glasses or contacts. Zenni Optical is a website that we’ve used before and been happy with.
  • If you have vision issues that require more expensive eye-ware, individual vision insurance could be worth it financially.
  • VSP is the company I like to work with for individual vision. Click Here to get quotes for stand-alone vision plans
  • If you go with a Delta Dental plan that I mentioned above they allow you to bundle vision insurance in with the dental at good rates. They give you two options after you click to enroll in the dental plan.
  • You could also contact your optometrist’s office and ask if they have an in-house plan or if there is a company they recommend. I am always happy to help you compare quotes that you’ve come up with.