Insurance World

Purchasing a family dental insurance plan provides you and your family two important benefits:

• Better oral health for the entire family as most plans pay 100% of the preventive service fees such as cleaning every six months. This encourages the family to visit the dentist for regular check ups and cleaning treatments. Prevention is half the battle!

• Generate more savings because the dental insurance company pays a certain percentage of dental services for minor and major procedures.

Here are six questions to guide you in the selection of the right dental insurance plan for you and your family.

1. Does the plan allow you to pick your own dentist?
Some dental insurance carriers give you bigger discounted rates provided you use their network of dentists. If your favorite dentist is not part of the network, the dental insurance plan may not cover the treatment. You should consider paying extra for a plan, which allows you and your family to go to your preferred dentist.

2. Are there restrictions when it comes to choosing the best treatment options? Some insurance plans put a cap on the number of treatments or limit the amount paid for a condition. If you or your family has a history of poor dental health care, then you should choose a plan that has few restrictions on this aspect.

3. What is does the plan cover? An ideal dental insurance plan allows for one cleaning treatment every six months, with X-ray and fluoride treatments that come at little or no cost for each member. For the major procedures, some dental plans require you to pay 50 percent of the entire bill. If your family has a history of good dental health care, then you may want to negotiate for lesser coverage when it comes to the major procedures.

4. Which family members are covered by the family insurance plan? Most dental insurance carriers cover the spouse and dependent children, from birth through 18. Some exceptions are given for children up to the ages of 22 if the child is a full time student, and dependent on the principal for support.

5. Is there built in flexibility in scheduling dental appointments? Some inexpensive dental insurance plans limit when you can come in for dental treatment. Check to ensure that these scheduled appointments do not inconvenience you or your family.

6. How much savings does this plan generate? Whether you and your spouse decide to purchase a family dental insurance plan, or avail of your employers’ sponsored plan – you will still be able to generate savings, for you are not paying for the entire procedure.

When looking for homeowners insurance in the state of Arizona there are a few things you should keep in mind:

How much to buy: Keeping in mind that the purpose of insurance is to transfer risk, you need to adequately protect your assets in the event of a catastrophic loss. You should insure your home for its proper value for maximum protection. Your house is a major investment, don’t scrimp on protecting it. Additionally, your mortgage company may have a set of insurance requirements you must adhere to.

Coverages: Know the difference between All Risk and Named Peril coverage. All risk is broader and will cover all risks subject to policy exclusions. On the other hand, Named Perils will cover only the perils named (i.e., fire, lightening, windstorm). All risk may cost a little more, but it’s worth it to protect your home.

Valuation: To protect our investment, replacement cost coverage pays the amount it will take to replace your home with the same kind and/or quality. Actual Cash value depreciates the purchase price of your home. ACV premiums may be cheaper, but replacement cost will return your home to it’s pre-loss value.

Rates: Rates are affect by factors such as:

· Type of construction: frame houses usually cost more than brick houses to insure.

· Age of house: Newer homes may qualify for discounts that older homes may not be privy to.

· Fire Protection: How far is your house from a fire hydrant or a fire department? The availability of water in the event of a fire is also taken into consideration when determining rate.

· Deductible: The higher the deductible you can withstand, the more of a premium discount you’ll enjoy

If you would like more information, or if you have a complaint you may contact the Arizona Department of Insurance

Consumers Affairs Division
2910 North 44th Street
Suite 210
Phoenix, Arizona 85018-7256