Spirit Dental Insurance Review
Dental health is a critical part of your overall well-being, but getting all the preventive, basic, major and orthodontics services that you need can be quite expensive. These individual services will quickly add up if you are paying for them out of pocket. A reliable dental insurance plan can help you avoid huge, unexpected costs when it comes to your teeth, gums and mouth.
In this Spirit Dental Insurance Review, you’ll learn about the different plans offered by Spirit Dental and why it’s one of our picks for the best dental insurance companies.
Best for major dental services
Trusted by customers for more than two decades, Spirit Dental has made an excellent name for itself in the dental insurance industry. The company was one of the first to offer no-waiting-period policies and is known for its extensive coverage of major dental services, such as dental implants, bridgework and crowns.
Read on to find out whether Spirit Dental offers the right solutions for your dental insurance needs.
Spirit Dental Insurance pros and cons
- No waiting periods on any plan
- Plan option with $5,000 annual maximum limit
- Covers three dental cleanings per year
- Expensive premium rates
- No coverage for adult orthodontia
- No HMO plans available
Pros explained
Short waiting periods for dental care
Most insurance companies have a waiting period before your coverage becomes effective. During these weeks or months, you can’t use the dental services provided by your insurance company even if you have a sudden issue with your oral health.
One of the biggest advantages of Spirit Dental insurance is its no-waiting-period policy. The company was among the first dental insurance providers to offer such a policy for all dental services it covers. This means that your coverage starts immediately once your plan is active, which can be as soon as the day after enrollment.
Applications will always be accepted
It’s not uncommon for health insurance providers to reserve the right to refuse your application for dental coverage. Your medical history, pre-existing conditions and the time you apply may all affect your acceptance. Spirit Dental Insurance is a smart choice for those needing immediate coverage because it guarantees approval for all individual, family and senior plans.
50% coverage for implants
Several health insurance companies consider dental implants cosmetic surgery. Therefore, they don’t offer coverage for these procedures. Spirit Dental insurance, on the other hand, offers a range of plans that help to pay for implants immediately.
While coverage details depend on your state of residence and plan type, most individual Spirit Dental insurance plans provide up to 50% of coverage for your dental implants. If you enroll in a senior plan, you might even get up to 65% coverage from the third year on.
Some important things to note:
- Implant coverage isn’t available in all Spirit Dental insurance plans. Secure Network and Secure Choice plans typically don’t provide this benefit.
- Implants for pre-existing conditions are usually not covered.
- Most plans start off with a lower percentage of covered expenses, which then increases yearly. This means that you might only get covered for only 10% of the cost of major services in year one of your enrollment.
Cons explained
Low annual maximum
Annual maximums refer to the maximum amount of costs associated with dental services and treatments you use that your insurance provider pays for in a year. Spirit Dental’s annual limits typically range from about $750 to $5,000 depending on your plan, service type and other factors.
While the $5,000 annual maximum is high, it’s only available in a few of the more premium plans and only from the third year of enrollment. Most basic plans have an annual limit ranging from $750 to $1,250, which is low compared with similar dental policies by other providers.
Expensive monthly premiums
Spirit Dental’s monthly premiums for individuals range from $20 to $110, approximately. While the company offers some remarkable benefits, the cost of its plans is above average. If you’re looking for the best dental insurance with the lowest monthly premiums, another choice may be better for you.
Spirit dental plans and offerings
Spirit Dental offers two types of insurance plans for individuals, families and seniors: Network plans or PPO (Preferred Provider Organizations) plans and Spirit Choice plans. Spirit Dental Network plans help you minimize out-of-pocket costs by choosing from in-network specialists, whereas Spirit Choice plans let you pick your dentist and may cover 50% to 100% of costs.
Both Network and Choice plans come in three varieties: Secure, Core and Pinnacle.
- Secure plans are the most affordable of the three. They have an annual maximum of up to $1250 and cover up to 70% of basic care and 40% of major care.
- Core plans sit between Secure and Pinnacle plans in terms of cost and coverage. They have a fixed annual maximum of $1200, cover up to 80% and 50% of basic and major care, respectively, and cover up to 50% of orthodontics.
- Pinnacle plans are the most expensive level of insurance offered by Spirit Dental. They have an annual maximum of up to $5000 and offer the same level of coverage as the Core plans (80-50-50 for basic-major-orthodontic care).
Keep in mind that plan availability will vary based on your location. For example, residents in New York may only have access to specific plans not available elsewhere, like the Core Network 1200 and 2000. Also, you might have to wait for orthodontic services depending on your state of residence.
Family plans
All Spirit Dental family plans cover three annual cleanings, two annual exams, 100% of preventive care and some percentage of basic and major services for each family member. Some plans include coverage for children’s orthodontics and dental implants. Naturally, monthly premiums for family plans are several times higher than those of individual plans.
Individual plans
Spirit Dental offers the same plans for individuals as it does for families. All of them cover three annual cleanings, two annual exams, 100% of preventive care and some percentage of basic, major and orthodontic services.
Senior plans
Spirit Dental has two plans dedicated to seniors: the Senior Preferred Network and the Senior Preferred Choice. Both cover three cleanings per year, preventive care at 100%, basic services at up to 80% and major services at up to 50%. They also include coverage for dental implants and hearing benefits. There’s no upper age limit on either of the plans.
Spirit Dental Insurance pricing
Spirit Dental Insurance rates vary by plan type, state of residence and other factors. Here’s a quick overview of the approximate monthly price ranges of individual, two-person and family plans:
- Individual plans range from $20 to $110.
- Plans for two people range from $35 to $240.
- Family plans range from $55 to $345.
All plans include a one-time, combined deductible of $100 for basic, preventive and major services. This is the amount you pay for your healthcare before you get full coverage from your insurance provider.
Generally speaking, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium will be. Although Spirit Dental insurance plans have relatively high rates, the low lifetime deductible is definitely a plus and could save you money in the long run.
Spirit Dental Insurance financial stability
Spirit Dental and Vision Insurance is a product offered by Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation. Ameritas has an A rating from AM Best, which is considered ‘Excellent’. AM Best is the world’s largest credit rating agency that specializes in the insurance industry.
This excellent financial rating indicates that Ameritas has an excellent ability to meet its financial obligations, and that there’s minimal or low risk in purchasing a Spirit Dental Insurance plan.
Spirit Dental Insurance accessibility
Availability
Spirit Dental and Vision offers services in every U.S. state except Washington. When applying for a quote on its website, you might find that it only presents you with a few different plans to choose from. For example, if you live in the 10013 zip code in New York, you’ll only find two dental insurance options to enroll in. Also, bear in mind that prices depend heavily on the area where you live.
Contact information
You can contact Spirit Dental to speak with a licensed agent by calling 844-833-8440, writing a message through the website’s live chat or sending an email to info@spiritdental.com.
The company claims that it answers 98% of its calls in 30 seconds or less. You can usually find an agent ready to help you right away through the website’s live chat, as well. If there’s no one available at the time of your visit, you can leave a message by supplying your contact information and a customer service representative will reach out to you with a phone call.
User experience
Spirit Dental’s homepage clearly features the most important benefits of the company’s plans and an opportunity to apply for coverage straight away. The only personal information you must enter before you can get a quote is your ZIP code. After that, you can look at all the plans available in your area with prices, features and a downloadable brochure.
While the signup process is simple and takes only a few minutes, it’s difficult to find detailed information about the different types of plans on the website. You can filter and compare some of the features of the plans after requesting a quote, but the only way to see all the key details is by downloading the brochures.
Another thing to note is that you can't create a profile on Spirit Dental's website. This means that the only way to view, modify or cancel your plan is by contacting the company through live chat, phone or email.
Spirit Dental Insurance customer satisfaction
We did not find any customer reviews for Spirit Dental on popular online review sites and platforms. The company claims in its About Us page that it continually scores 4.8 out of 5 stars in customer satisfaction, but it does not disclose where it receives this score, so we could not verify this information. On the Better Business Bureau, the Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation (which issues Spirit Dental policies) has an A+ rating and is BBB accredited, but has a 1-out-of-5-star rating based on 20 customer reviews.
All dental and vision plans offered by the company come with a 30-day customer satisfaction guarantee. This means that you’ll have 30 days to cancel your plan after it becomes active. Your monthly premium will be fully refunded if none of the covered services have been provided.
Applying for insurance on Spirit Dental's website is a relatively fast and easy process. First, you need to request a quote by supplying your ZIP code and specifying who the coverage is for. The company will then present you with a range of options available in your state to choose from. You can compare plan features and download brochures to get more details.
After you select a plan, you'll continue to the checkout window. During checkout, you need to supply some basic personal information and choose the payment method you prefer. You don't need to worry about your application status, as Spirit Dental guarantees the approval of your application. You'll get your Spirit Dental policy within 10 days of enrollment.
You can cancel your Spirit Dental insurance anytime. Your coverage will end on the last day of the month, based on your billing date. To cancel your plan, you need to contact the company via phone, email or live chat on the website.
Yes, Spirit Dental is a product offered by Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation.
Spirit Dental Insurance is a legitimate company that has been serving customers for more than 20 years. Its policies are issued by the Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation, a mutual-based organization with strong financial ratings and over 130 years operating in the industry.
How we evaluated Spirit Dental Insurance
When we evaluated Spirit Dental, we considered several key features that might affect your decision, including:
- Deductibles
- Monthly premiums
- Financial stability
- Accessibility
- User experience
- Customer satisfaction
Summary of Money's Spirit Dental Insurance review
Spirit Dental insurance is an excellent choice for individuals who are looking to cover major dental services. The company offers a wide range of plan options in most states, no waiting periods and robust coverage for major dental care, like implants. Plus, Spirit Dental guarantees acceptance of your application and has a generous 30-day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.
Having said that, if you’re only looking for basic coverage, you might find better alternatives in terms of monthly pricing and annual maximum benefits. We suggest comparing the plans and prices of multiple dental insurance companies so you can get quality coverage that matches your needs at a great value.