Washington Dental Insurance Plans

Washington State Dental Insurance Costs

A review of seven Washington dental plans from three of the largest insurance companies (MetLife, Guardian, and Renaissance Dental) in the state found that the average premium quote for a 33 year-old living in Spokane was $38.71. The least expensive plan was a PPO dental insurance plan, Guardian’s Advantage Starter, which cost $26.41 a month. This plan had a 6-month waiting period on basic dental services (preventive care was available immediately) and the plan did not cover major dental procedures. The plan with the highest premium among the seven reviewed was Guardian's Advantage Achiever. This plan charged $53.86 a month for its coverage.

Interestingly, the most expensive plan in the review did not have the highest maximum benefit (the maximum benefit is the dollar limit on what an insurance company will pay annually for your dental care). The plan with the highest annual limit of those reviewed was MetLife's Takealong Dental High PPO. This plan would cover up to $2,000 in insurance payments each year. The Guardian Advantage Achiever covered $1,000 in payments in the first year, though this amount increased to $1,500 for members who stayed continuously enrolled three or more years. Across all seven plans, the average maximum benefit during the first 12 months of coverage was $1,071. Two of the plans (Guardian’s Advantage Core and Advantage Starter) had maximum benefits of $500 during this period.

Coverage

Most of the plans paid for annual cleanings with no co-pay on the part of the plan enrollee. All of the plans reviewed paid for at least 50 percent of the cost of a filling for an in-network dentist, with the average being 64 percent of the cost covered by insurance. One plan, the Guardian Direct Advantage Starter, did not cover crowns. However, other plans by Guardian (Guardian Advantage Core PPO and Guardian Advantage Achiever PPO) included coverage for crowns.

See Dental Plan Rates in Your Area

If you are interested in which of these plans are bestsellers in the state, see the section immediately below. To see all available plans in your area, visit our home page and compare dental plans.