Monday, September 22, 2014SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- With more insurers selling dental insurance through government exchanges, HealthPocket examined premiums and out-of-pocket costs to determine the typical expenses facing consumers, the authors of a recent study say. For adults who buy buy stand-alone dental coverage on government exchanges, the average monthly dental insurance premium was $31.81.
The study also found that 82% of dental plans examined charged a co-insurance fee for major dental expenses such as crowns and root canals. A co-insurance fee is a percentage of the dental expense the consumer pays out-of-pocket.
Nationwide, the average co-insurance fee for major dental services was 63%. This translates into an out-of-pocket cost of $1,260 for a $2,000 crown. Humana had an average co-insurance rate of 100% for major dental services, the study found.
The average dental premium differed widely among states. The state with the lowest average dental premium was West Virginia at $23.70. In contrast, Alaska had the highest at $63.61. Wisconsin, the state with next-highest average premium, was more than 35% less at $41.11 although Healthpocket noted that Alaska is one of the least-populous states with few choices of dental plans.
Ohio's average monthly premium was $39.95, with an average deductible of $38.89 compared with Pennsylvania, at $28.35 and $38.07, respectively.
HealthPocket.com is a free website that compares and ranks all health insurance plans available to individuals, families and small businesses.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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