Does Delta Dental cover Invisalign clear aligners?
When it comes to clear aligners or invisible braces, there is no doubt that Invisalign is the dominating brand in the market. But, along with this reputation comes a high price tag.
Yes, Invisalign can be expensive for some people. The treatment can cost anywhere between $3000 and $8000, depending on the severity of your dental issue. This is an amount that not everyone can pay upfront.
Thankfully, you can lessen the amount you have to pay out of your own pocket with the help of dental insurance. Insurance can take a huge amount of medical and dental expenses away from what you have to pay from your own pocket.
And speaking of dental insurance, Delta Dental is one of the most popular options for those who know they need constant dental treatment. But does it cover Invisalign?
Here, we will discuss everything you need to know about Delta Dental and how this insurance provider can help you with your Invisalign straightening treatment.
What is Delta Dental?
Delta Dental is a nationwide network consisting of 39 independent Delta Dental companies that operate in all 50 US states, other US territories, and Puerto Rico. It is one of the biggest dental insurance providers in America – having been founded in 1954.
As their name puts it, Delta Dental specializes in dental insurance. They have nationwide coverage.
As far as rating goes, Delta Dental has a rated “A” score by AM Best and a rated “A+” score by the Better Business Bureau.
If you choose Delta Dental as your insurance provider, there is a good chance that you can get coverage for your orthodontic treatment. But take note that all of this depends on the type of plan you choose with them.
Delta Dental is popular because of the fact that it can provide different insurance policies to help cater to everyone’s individual needs and budget.
There are three major insurance plans categories offered by Delta Dental:
- Individuals and families – provides dental insurance for yourself or for your family.
- Small businesses – provides dental insurance for your hardworking employees.
- Retirees – provides dental insurance for those those who are retired or retiring soon but still want dental coverage to maintain their smiles.
Within those three categories are several dental plans to choose from. Since the Delta Dental benefits will be administered by the independent Delta Dental company in your state, the plans offered, the coverage, and the cost of each plan will vary by state. Even their customer service varies by state as well.
This means there is no sure way of knowing the specific details unless you speak with a Delta Dental orthodontist or dentist and discuss Delta Dental pay with them to get specific rates.
Does Delta Dental cover Invisalign?
As mentioned earlier, Delta Dental provides different types of dental plans. Not all of these plans provide Invisalign coverage. To get Invisalign coverage, you must choose the Delta Dental PPO plans.
How much you will get for coverage will depend on the type of PPO plan you will be getting. But with Delta PPO plans, you can get as much as 50% coverage for children and adults. It will not cover the full treatment but 50% off is a big help.
Take note that under Delta Dental PPO, you will be required to work with a dentist or orthodontist that is in-network with Delta Dental to get coverage. You might think that this is a limitation but it is actually an advantage. If you work with a participating Delta Dental provider, you will be enjoying discounted fees and the lowest out-of-pocket costs.
How to get orthodontic coverage through Delta Dental
There are two ways you can get enrolled in a Delta Dental insurance plan: the first is through your employer and the second is by buying an individual plan.
Employer plan
Some people can get Delta dental coverage through their employers. The advantage of this option is that your insurance premiums are automatically deducted from your salary before taxes. This greatly reduces what you owe for tax.
And since you contribute towards the cost of your plan through your salary, you will be rewarded with lower premiums.
But getting Delta Dental insurance through your employer also has its drawbacks. For one, your employer gets to choose what coverages you can get and the reality is – that most employers do not get orthodontic coverage.
There is also the reality that not all employers get a dedicated dental plan for their employees. More often, they choose a general health plan where the dental coverage is very limited and will most likely not have orthodontics or treatments like Invisalign covered.
Individual plan
Getting an individual Delta Dental insurance plan is an investment. Unlike when you get standard health insurance, you do not have to wait for an enrollment period. If you get your individual dental plan, you can start any time of the year.
The best part about getting an individual Delta Dental plan is that you get to choose what type of coverage you can get. If you know you are bound to get braces at some point, you can get a policy that provides coverage for orthodontic treatment.
You just have to make sure that you can keep up with paying your premiums and doing the paperwork yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Delta Dental orthodontic coverage include traditional braces?
The majority of the Delta Dental plans under DeltaCare USA and Delta PPO provide coverage for traditional braces for both children and adults.
Take note that Delta Dental cover braces but other Delta Dental insurance plans have a lifetime limit and the amount will vary depending on the specific plan that you chose.
How to choose the best Delta Dental plans
Seeing that this insurance provider provides numerous options, choosing a suitable Delta Dental plan for orthodontic coverage can be confusing.
You should visit the Delta Dental website and look for their Insurance Products page. There, you will find a Dental insurance chart with a brief summary of each plan. There will also be a search function where you can get more specific information by typing in what state you are in.
But as we mentioned earlier, only the Delta Dental PPO plans provide coverage for Invisalign treatments. So, if you are looking for the best Delta Dental plan that covers Invisalign, you should look deeper into their PPO plans.
You can also simply try to contact them and you can talk with a customer service representative to help you out.
How much does Invisalign cost without insurance?
The average cost for Invisalign will take anywhere between $3000 and $8000. It is a big range but this is because the price is subject to a lot of factors – the most important of which is the severity of your dental issue.
Basically, the more work your teeth need, the longer the treatment time will be and the more aligner trays you will be using for the treatment. To make the long story short, the more work your teeth need, the more expensive your treatment will become.
So, if you just have a minor orthodontic issue to deal with, you do not need to worry that much because your Invisalign treatment will cost you less.
How can insurance help with my Invisalign treatment?
Insurance coverage greatly helps lessen the amount you have to pay for your medical and dental needs.
This will depend on what insurance provider you pick and what type of policy you choose. Some dental insurance plans will cover a partial sum of your treatment just like they do with traditional braces.
Insurance policies usually cover 20% to 50% of the total Invisalign treatment cost. Some policies also have a lifetime maximum on orthodontic treatments. The limit can be anywhere from $1000 to $4000. There will be no free coverage for Invisalign.
But take note that not all insurance policies cover Invisalign. You will find many dental insurance plans that provide coverage more for traditional braces than Invisalign. Some dental cover clear aligners only if you are able to prove that getting Invisalign is a medically necessary orthodontia.
Before you start your Invisalign treatment, make sure to give your insurance provider a call and review your coverage for orthodontics – specifically Invisalign. This way, you get to tackle what your plans cover and there will be no surprises when you file your insurance claim.
Does Delta Dental cover at-home clear aligners?
At-home aligner treatment is not a covered benefit when it comes to Delta Dental. Delta plans prefer to give coverage for clear aligners when they are in-office treatments like Invisalign.
In 2020, home aligner brand SmileDirectClub took Delta Dental to court over this issue. SmileDirectClub assigns a state-licensed dentist or orthodontist to develop their treatment plans and to monitor the progress of every patient so they should not be categorized as a DIY treatment.
However, despite suing Delta Dental, the company stands firm on the matter. Aside from SmileDirectClub, Delta plans also do not provide for other home aligner brands like Byte, Candid, AlignerCo, NewSmile, and many more.
Other insurance companies to consider that cover Invisalign treatment
If you still have doubts whether Delta Dental is the right dental insurance for you, here is a list of other insurance companies that cover Invisalign treatment:
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Guardian
- Humana
- MetLife
- United Concordia
Other ways to lower your Invisalign costs
If you thing Invisalign is still expensive for you despite having insurance plans cover for the treatment, do not worry. You can still get your Invisalign treatment plan at a lower cost with the additional help of any of the following on the list:
- Health savings account
- Flexible spending account
- Third party options for credit and loans
- Financing plans or payment plans via your orthodontist’s office
Conclusion
It is no secret that any type of orthodontic treatment is expensive. Most of us will be needing financial assistance to cover the costs. The best financial assistance that you can get is dental insurance, which can provide almost half of the total cost of treatment.
But of course, every dental insurance provider and plan is different. Some policies include Invisalign while some do not. This is the same case when it comes to Delta Dental.
Because of this, you must understand the details of the specific plan that you plan to get. Reading even the fine print will help you have an idea of what you should expect when it comes to getting coverage for orthodontic treatment.
Delta Dental is a good insurance provider option if you want dental coverage that covers Invisalign. Their Delta Dental PPO plan, in particular, provides coverage for Invisalign. If you want to give them a try, go to their website and search for what benefits you can get in your state.