3 top candidates for Dental Vision Hearing (DVH) plans

Are you on Original Medicare? Did you retire early? A bundled DVH insurance plan could provide you with the coverage you need for routine oral, eye and hearing health.

When you think about taking care of your health, medical needs such as seeing a doctor when you’re sick, scheduling a checkup, and getting a flu shot may be the first things that come to mind.

But maintaining your well-being also includes looking after your dental, vision and hearing health. That’s where a Dental Vision Hearing, or DVH, plan might come in handy.

Read on to learn more about DVH plans and how they might fit your coverage needs.

Interested in exploring a Dental Vision Hearing plan? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.

What is Dental Vision Hearing insurance?

Dental Vision Hearing insurance combines dental benefits with vision and hearing benefits. In other words, when you purchase a DVH plan, you’ll make 1 monthly payment (i.e., your premium) to the insurance company for all 3 benefits. The insurer will then process individual claims for your dental, vision and hearing providers. Benefits vary by plan and location.

“Each state’s benefits are different,” says Tasha Loy Riggs, a licensed insurance agent for HealthMarkets in Westminster, Colorado.

What does Dental Vision Hearing insurance cover?

OK, so you’re thinking you might want to explore a DVH plan. What does it cover? Here’s a look at each aspect of what a DVH plan may (or may not) cover.

Dental coverage may include:

• Preventive services, such as exams, X-rays and routine teeth cleanings
• Basic services, such as fillings

Dental coverage may not include:

• Major services: crowns, extractions and root canals; bridges, dentures and partials; and implants may be excluded from some plans
• Orthodontia (braces) is usually excluded or limited by age

Vision coverage may include:

• Routine eye exams
• Eyeglasses lenses and frames
• Contact lenses

Vision coverage may not include:

• Medical problems — though a traditional health insurance (or Medicare) plan likely would. “I tell people to think of vision insurance as eyeglasses and eyewear insurance,” Riggs says. “If they have a problem with their eye, that’s under medical.”

Hearing coverage typically includes:

• Hearing exams
• Hearing aid(s)

Whether a policy will meet your needs depends on what it specifically covers — and what it doesn’t. Always read the fine print or consult the plan’s brochure to see what is covered and what is excluded. You can also call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.

Am I a candidate for a Dental Vision Hearing plan?

If you don’t have group coverage, an individual DVH plan may be a convenient way to buy dental, vision and hearing coverage.

If you’re specifically shopping for hearing coverage, DVH plans may be a default option. “There’s not a stand-alone hearing plan out there,” Riggs says. “You can’t just go buy a hearing plan.”

If you don’t need hearing coverage, compare the costs and benefits of a bundled DVH plan to buying separate dental and vision plans. They may be less expensive or offer benefits that better fit your needs. It depends on each plan’s benefits and costs.

Let’s look at who the top candidates might be for a DVH plan.

Candidate #1: You’re on Original Medicare

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) typically doesn’t cover routine dental and vision exams and related treatments. It also doesn’t cover hearing aids. Medicare Part B does, however, cover hearing exams, but only in very limited circumstances. For example, if your hearing loss has existed for 12 or more months, you can see an audiologist every 12 months.

You can buy separate, stand-alone dental and vision plans to supplement Original Medicare coverage. A DVH plan, however, enables you to add hearing coverage, which you’re more likely to need as you age. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 22% of people ages 65 to 74, and 55% of those ages 75 and older, have disabling hearing loss. (“Disabling” is the level at which adults with hearing loss could generally benefit from hearing aids.)

“The way to get hearing covered under Original Medicare is buying a DVH plan,” Riggs says. “It’s really the hearing a lot of times that will determine whether you buy DVH.”

DVH plans also may cover dental services that traditional dental plans tend not to cover. “You will find DVH plans that have a lot more coverages in the bridges and the denture category, because they are designed for seniors,” says Riggs.

Candidate #2: You retire early

If you retire early and no longer have group insurance from an employer, DVH insurance could offer a convenient way to access benefits for nonmedical dental, vision and hearing care, as well as for related items such as glasses or contact lenses and hearing aids.

Even if you’re not yet eligible for Medicare, hearing benefits can become more important over time. For example, “about 5% of adults ages 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 10% for adults ages 55 to 64,” according to the NIDCD.4

Candidate #3: You’re self-employed

If you work for yourself, you may be on the lookout for a traditional health insurance plan, plus supplemental dental or vision plans. For example, if you’re self-employed and purchase an Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance plan, you can pick a medical plan with or without dental coverage, or you can choose a separate dental plan. Only certain adult plans include vision insurance — and as Riggs mentioned, stand-alone hearing plans may be hard to find. A DVH plan can supplement your selection.

What limitations might you find with Dental Vision Hearing plans?

When you’re comparing DVH plans, you have to do the math, particularly to estimate what your out-of-pocket costs will be. Similar to health insurance plans, DVH plans include limitations such as:

• Annual and lifetime maximum usage caps
• Waiting periods
• Copayments
• Limited or no coverage if you go out of network

“One of the biggest things about dental is the maximum usage each year,” Riggs says. For example, a plan may cover up to only $1,000 to $1,500. “Sometimes people need a lot more dental coverage than that,” she adds. “So, I’ll search for plans that have maybe $3,000 or $5,000. It’s going to really come down to that person’s need.”

You also may have to wait for coverage to kick in, especially for dental. “There’s usually a 6-month waiting period for minor restorative and a 12-month waiting period for major restorative, like root canals and crowns,” Riggs says.

If you need immediate care, a dental discount plan is an alternative that usually doesn’t have a waiting period. With a dental discount plan, you pay a dentist a prenegotiated cash rate, which is lower than what the practice would usually charge.

Is a Dental Vision Hearing plan the right choice for you?

If you don’t have access to group dental, vision or hearing insurance, an individual DVH plan may be an option to consider. To see if one might be right for you, start by asking yourself basic questions such as:

• What are my needs? For example, if you’re young, you might forego hearing coverage, but if you’re older or on Original Medicare, a DVH plan might be your only option for hearing benefits. If you don’t wear glasses or contact lenses, for instance, paying out of pocket for an annual vision exam may be cheaper than vision insurance premiums (i.e., monthly bills).
• What may or may not covered? Pay careful attention to exclusions (see above).
• Are my providers covered? And if they aren’t, are you willing to switch providers?
• What can I afford? Look at fixed costs, such as premiums, and potential out-of-pocket costs, such as copays. Read the fine print on limitations, such as annual caps , which are the maximum benefit allowed for a designated timeframe.

Compare the costs and benefits of a DVH plan to buying dental and vision insurance separately. If you have hearing needs, add to this total the cash cost of hearing exams and hearing aids. To lower the cost of hearing aids, consider over-the-counter models and hearing aids sold by club discount merchants.

In some states, even if you don’t use the hearing benefits, a DVH plan may be more cost-effective than buying separate dental and vision plans. “There are some states where the dental and vision are so strong that people are just buying it for dental and vision and not even using the hearing,” Riggs says.

Need more information on Dental Vision Hearing plans? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.

Disclaimer:
This policy has exclusions, limitations, reduction of benefits, and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of the coverage, call or write your insurance agent or the company.