Anthem is not only a major force in health insurance. They also offer popular dental plans. Learn about their features & benefits to see if they have the right plan for you.
Anthem, also known as Anthem Blue Cross or Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, is one of the nation’s
best-known insurers, offering a variety of health coverage through several different brands. Taken
together,
Anthem brands represent one of
the largest health benefits providers in the United States. While widely known for their health
insurance products, Anthem also has a robust selection of specialty insurance plans which includes
dental
coverage. Anthem dental insurance products cover Americans across the country and the company boasted
total
dental membership of over
six million people for the year 2020. Anthem’s dental products can be purchased either
individually by consumers or by businesses for group dental plans.
Anthem’s presence in the dental market extends beyond consumers. Their Dental Provider Savings
Program
provides discounts up to 40% to dentists on office devices such as scanners and personal protective
equipment, lab services (implants, clear aligners, dentures), and dental telemedicine technology. Anthem
has
also upgraded their online portal for dentists to submit their patients’ claims as well as verify
patient insurance eligibility for specific services before they are performed.
Anthem was named by Fortune Magazine as the #1 Most Admired Company within the Health Care Provider
segment
in 2020. In the same year, the Anthem Foundation announced that it had committed $50 million to COVID-19
response and recovery efforts. These efforts include provisions for the safety of health care providers,
mental & behavioral health support resources, and resources to combat food insecurity.
A popular line of dental products from Anthem is the Essential Choice. The plans in this line include the
Essential Choice Incentive, Essential Choice Bronze, Essential Choice Silver, Essential Choice Gold, and
Essential Choice Platinum. All five of these plans are PPOs. PPO stands for “preferred provider organization.” A
PPO has the lowest out-of-pocket costs for covered services among in-network dentists but still allows
an
enrollee to seek treatment out-of-network (albeit at higher costs).
The entry-level of these options is the Bronze. It has the lowest premium among Essential Choice plans
and
has no waiting periods before preventive care such as annual teeth cleaning and oral exams that can be
received by an enrollee. Unlike other Essential Choice plans, the Bronze does not have any coverage for
major dental work such as root canals or crowns. In contrast, other Essential Choice plans provide major
dental coverage (usually with a waiting period). The deductible on the bronze plan varies by the number
of
enrollees. For a single person, it has a $50 deductible. Each additional enrollee within a family plan
is
another $50 deductible but the family deductible is capped at a maximum of $150 a year. This deductible
is
waived for diagnostic and preventive services if they are received in-network.
Confused as how GST hike on used car will work? Here's how a higher GST of 18% will impact individuals and businesses
