*Anticipated national average dental charges for the 2006 calendar year based on the comparison of provider negotiated fees to national average charges. Actual costs and savings vary by provider and geographical area.

General dentists who participate in Vital Savings by Aetna have agreed to accept the Vital Savings by Aetna contracted rate as payment in full for services performed. A sample table of Vital Savings by Aetna discounted fees can be found below.

Members can tap into savings on vision care including discounts on exams, eyewear, LASIK surgery and accessories.

Members have access to discounts on oral health care products - all at reduced rates.

Members also have access to savings on fitness including discounts on membership rates and savings on certain home exercise equipment.

This fee schedule is only to be used as a guide to determine approximate prices for dental services in the geographic area noted. The discounted fee schedule amount reflects the average fee information currently available on our systems. Individual dentist fee schedules may differ. Vital Savings by Aetna makes no guarantee as to the accuracy of any particular fee amount. In order to determine the specific rates for a dental provider, you should contact the dental provider directly.

1 Source: DentalPlans.com (DP.C) 2007 Survey of Sample Average National Dental Fees.  Fees may vary slightly by region. 

2 Discounted fees are listed for visits to a participating general dentist . Members will be charged the provider's Vital Savings by Aetna contracted fees. Charges may vary from the sample fee schedule above. Consult with your provider prior to beginning any treatment. Lab fees may be additional.

This plan is based geographically by ZIP code in terms of provider participation and location. Fee schedules and savings may vary by ZIP code and by Provider within a ZIP code .

• Orthodontists - braces
• Periodontists - gums
• Oral Surgeons - wisdom tooth or major extractions
• Prosthodontists - bridges and dentures
• Pediatric Dentists - child treatment
• Endodontist - extensive root canals

• Your welcome letter and ID cards
• Instructions and tips for maximizing your savings
• Support and contact documentation

Dental Plans

by: Damian Sofsian

A Dental plan is an option for people who do not wish to spend much money on �full coverage� with dental insurance. Such plans are provided by certain companies, who charge monthly fees from their clients. There are many dental plans available for residents in the US. The three basic plans are HMO, PPO, and EPO.

HMO stands for Health Management Organizations. Their plans are also called Capitation Dental Plans. Providers of these plans associate themselves with a single dentist who willingly agrees to reduce his fees by attracting a larger number of patients. The responsibility of the provider company is to attract more patients to the contracted dentist and to provide the discounted services of the dentist to his patients. As per this plan, simple cleaning and filling procedures cost almost nothing to the patient. For more complex procedures like root canals, crown filling, bridgework, and dentures, there can be a collaborative payment between the provider company and the patient. The contracted dentist gets a monthly payment depending on the number of patients who visited during the month.

The other plan PPO, which stands for Preferred Provider Organization, is only slightly different from the HMO plan. PPO plan is a closed plan, in which the provider companies associate themselves with a group of dentists practicing in an area. The advantage of enrolling in a PPO is that the patient gets to choose among several dentists according to their preference. This plan provides a discounted service as well.

EPO is Exclusive Provider Organization. It is also a closed plan with a group of contracted dentists like the PPO, but the difference is that the patient cannot choose the dentist from the group; the provider decides which dentists are seen by its clients.

Companies provide dental plans for their employees as an added perk. Usually PPO and EPO plans are favored by employee groups.

All dental plans provide free preventive services for their clients. By doing so, they avert huge medical bills in the case of a serious dental condition in the future. There are limitations on the number of free services provided per year, which is mentioned in the dental plan�s stipulations. For more expensive operations the dental plan provider may pay as much as 50-80% of the total bill.