A Guide to Dental and Vision Insurance & Plans

Taking good care of teeth and eyes is an important part of an overall healthy body. So, coverage for dental and vision under student health insurance plans is very significant. Most health insurance plans whether Indian or International cover costs incurred for the treatment of accidental injury to sound teeth and vision. Some international plans also cover the acute onset of dental plans as well.  

These plans do not cover the cost of the following: –

Dental treatments

Preventive care – Routine dental exams and cleanings typically take place every six months and are covered in full by most dental insurance policies. Restorative care – This includes procedures for less damaged or decayed teeth, e.g. “fillings”.Endodontics – This includes procedures for more damaged or decayed teeth like “root canals”.Oral surgery – It includes teeth removal, the drainage of infections, and gum tissue biopsies. Orthodontics – It covers installation, preservation & ejection of braces and retainers. Periodontics – Periodontics involves the treatment of gum disease, infections, and lesions. Prosthodontics – Fittings and installations of dentures and bridges can be expensive, and you will need a quality insurance policy to help alleviate this cost.

Vision treatments:

Eye exams – This is a preventive care coverage, generally performed once a year and involves a series of tests to diagnose the state of the eyes across several different parameters such as sharpness of your vision, color blindness, squint check-up, glaucoma presence, range of peripheral vision and more. Eyewear – Frames and contact lenses are very expensive but are often partially covered by vision insurance. Some plans may restrict coverage to eyewear purchased through your optometrist or a network-approved vision center. Sometimes, even prescription sunglasses may be covered . Lens coatings and enhancements – Some vision insurance plans can help with the cost of a lens coating beneficial for decreasing the effects of scratching, fog/moisture, reflections, and exposure to ultraviolet rays.Surgery – Medically required surgeries to treat an eye injury, infection, or disease, would be covered under a Vision insurance plan. Here exclusion for cosmetic surgeries such as LASIK is to be noted.

Cost of Dental and Vision expenses are very costly in international destinations, especially in countries like the U.S., where medical expenses are generally high. So for students going to these countries, it can be a financial blunder if they need any of regular treatments regarding dental and vision.

As students cannot ignore taking exclusive dental and vision insurance plans, so they are advised to take these plans at least for the first six months of arriving in their international study destination. These plans can be taken along with the Health Insurance plans taken by students either from the University or from external insurance providers. These plans can be taken with an Annual premium of $100 -$200 depending upon the location and age of the student.

Types of Dental and Vision Insurance plans:

HMO – Provision of a primary care physician (PCP) along with a network of physicians & dental or medical facilities approved by your insurance provider.PPO – Insured can visit physicians and facilities outside of the network and not just restricted to PCP. Indemnity plans – These plans reimburse the customer for services rendered once a claim is submitted to the insurance provider.

There is also an alternative to the above Insurance plans to enjoy dental and Vision benefits.

• Discount program includes the following: –
• Payment of a monthly or yearly fee.
• Access to a pool of discount offers
• Choose from the selection of discounted services as needed