Guide to Dental Insurance in Louisiana

Consider Louisiana dental plans that have a long list of providers

Give your group options when selecting a dental practice. You can't make everyone happy, but the more dentists an insurance company covers, the more choices your employees will have. Employees who already have a dentist they like will be especially happy if their dentist is on the insurer's list of providers.

I recommend: eHealthInsurance narrows the field by ZIP code and allows you to compare up to 4 Louisiana dental insurance programs at a time for both individual coverage and small business. DentalPlans.com partners with DPBrokers.com and offers business and group dental plans.

Evaluate alternatives to traditional group dental plans in Louisiana

Talk to your staff about what they need in terms of coverage. A few of your staff members may have ongoing dental issues where a lower deductible might be more beneficial than having a higher monthly premium, assuming that your employees will pay a portion of their premiums. Keep in mind that it is more costly to insure small groups than it is to cover large groups. If you find that it's too costly to sign up for group dental insurance coverage in Louisiana, encourage your staff to sign up for a dental discount plan or an individual HSA-health savings account and contribute to those accounts each month.

I recommend: Use InsuranceCompany.com to compare group dental discount plans to traditional insurance based on ZIP code. AmeriPlan Dental offers dental discount plans only. Louisiana insurance specialist Dirk Margheim presents pros, cons and alternatives to Louisiana dental insurance programs.

Use Louisiana dental insurance from companies operating exclusively in Louisiana

Going with an insurer who operates exclusively in Louisiana could provide discounts to those attending schools or universities in Louisiana among other groups or institutions--your group could qualify for such a discount. They may also have put providers on their preferred list who have a proven track record based on the past experiences of their existing group members. These companies can also offer dental discount plans--which are typically less expensive than dental insurance and can include coverage for vision and prescription drug benefits. Dental discount plans can be used in conjunction with traditional dental insurance for additional savings as well.

I recommend: LouisianaDentalPlan sells dental discount plans, group plans, PPO dental plans and offers special group pricing to schools, universities and law enforcement agencies. Dina Dental Plan, offering dental insurance in Louisiana since the 1970's, offers a full range of plans, including PPO and indemnity.