Denali Dental & Vision Insurance

Denali Dental & Vision Insurance Review

Denali Dental & Vision’s founder, Tom Mayer, started the company with the goal of offering innovative dental insurance to beat standard plans sold elsewhere, with the convenience of optional vision insurance. Both growing families and retirees on Medicare’s insufficient dental benefits can save money on dental and vision care with Denali.

The company supports the Smile Network, a 501(c)3 non-profit humanitarian organization that provides free life-changing reconstructive cleft lip and palate surgeries to poverty-stricken children and adults in developing nations.

Pros

• Multiple plans
• Annual maximum benefits increase each year
• Extremely reasonable lifetime deductibles

Cons

• Major services coverage is low in the first year of some plans

Denali Dental & Vision Insurance Plans

Denali offers three dental insurance plans through Renaissance PPO Networks. A PPO, or preferred provider organization, is a managed health plan where you pay less out of pocket for services provided by dentists who agree to a set fee for service. You can go to any dentist of your choice and even if they are out-of-network, Denali will pay for part of your treatment, but you will likely pay more for your portion of the bill.

Denali Dental plans offer guaranteed acceptance and no waiting period for using their insurance, unlike many dental insurance options, which require you to wait a month or longer to take advantage of benefits. Denali Dental pays for four cleanings and two exams each year. There’s no coverage for replacing teeth lost before the effective date of the policy unless you lose an adjacent tooth while covered by the insurance. The services Denali Dental covers are:

• Preventive: Two exams and four cleanings per calendar year
• Diagnostic: Bitewing X-rays (one series per year)
• Basic and Major Services: Fillings, simple extractions, diagnostic X-ray every three years, oral surgery, endodontic treatment, periodontic services, restoration services (inlays, onlays and crowns), prosthetic services (bridges and dentures), veneers (restorative only) and endosteal implants

Denali Dental plans are most cost-effective if you maintain your dental insurance for at least four years since each plan’s annual maximum grows annually. You can add vision insurance to all of the dental plans for an additional fee.

The Denali Summit Plan Dental Insurance

Source: Denali Dental & Vision

The Denali Summit Plan’s annual maximum grows through the fourth year. Plan maximums are $1,200 the first year, then $2,000 the second, $3,500 the third, and $6,000 in the fourth year and going forward. Lifetime deductibles for the Denali Summit Plan are $100 in-network, $200 out-of-network.

• The Denali Summit Plan immediately covers the cost for 100 percent of preventive services, half for diagnostic services and 30 percent for basic and major services.
• Diagnostic service coverage increases to 75 percent and 90 percent the second and third years, and basic and major services max out at 60 percent by the fourth year.
• The Denali Summit dental insurance plan includes orthodontic services. The coverage is low the first year but increases each year incrementally to 50 percent in year four with a $500 annual maximum capped at $1,500. The lifetime deductible is $100 for orthodontic care.

The Denali Peak Dental Insurance Plan

The Denali Peak Plan benefits mirror those of the Summit dental plan, with a first-year maximum of $1,200 increasing to $6,000 at the four-year mark and beyond. Coverage percentages are somewhat lower than the Summit plan. The lifetime deductible for the Peak Dental Plan is $250 per person.

• Denali Peak Dental Plan covers preventive services at 80 percent from day one, 50 percent for diagnostic services, and 30 percent of basic and major services.
• In the second year, coverage for diagnostic services, basic and major services increases to 60 and 40 percent respectively.
• Coverage increases another 10 percent for both service levels the third year, with 80 percent diagnostic services and 60 percent basic and major services coverage.

The Denali Ridge Dental Insurance Plan

The Denali Ridge Plan maximum pays $750 the first year, then $1,500 and $2,000 respectively the next two years, and $2,500 the fourth year and beyond. The lifetime deductible for The Denali Ridge Plan is $100 in-network and $200 out-of-network.

• The Denali Ridge Dental Plan pays for 50 percent of diagnostic services the first year, 60 and 70 percent years two and three, then 80 percent for year four and later.
• Basic and major services are covered at 10 then 25 percent for years one and two, 40 percent the third year and 50 percent for year four and beyond.

How Much do Denali Dental Insurance Plans Cost?

We ran some numbers to give you sample quotes from Denali Dental with optional vision insurance for one adult, two adults and a family. Keep in mind premiums vary depending on your state of residence.

How to Buy a Denali Dental & Vision Plan

You can compare and buy Denali Dental insurance or vision coverage on the company website. Select a dental plan, optional vision care insurance and when you want coverage to start, and add it to your cart. Then enter information for processing your payment and submit. Alternatively, you can call the company to speak to a representative to determine the best insurance for your dental and vision expenses.

Denali Dental Insurance Complaints

The Better Business Bureau rates Direct Benefits, the managing agency behind Denali Dental, with an “A+” and with only one complaint. ConsumerAffairs names Renaissance Dental, Denali’s network of dentists, one of the top dental networks in the country, as does ConsumerAdvocate. Consumer reviews for Denali Dental on Facebook, Yelp and Google Reviews average out to around 4.8 out of 5 stars. Based on reviews, we recommend checking with your dentist to ensure they are in-network before buying a plan. Call or use Denali Dental’s online chat to know the coverage or if you have any questions.

Denali Dental Insurance Q&A

• How do I pay for Denali Dental & Vision coverage?
  You sign an authorization when you enroll allowing Denali Dental to either charge your credit card or debit your bank account for the premium amount on the 18th of every month.

• What is the Denali Dental & Vision cancellation policy?
  You can cancel coverage with a written notice within 30 days after enrolling. After the initial 30 days, the plan continues to automatically renew unless you send a cancellation notice via email or fax.

• Does everyone on my Denali Dental plan have to use the same dentist?
  Each person covered by your plan can choose his or her dental care provider. The rules for in-network and out-of-network providers apply, though, and Denali pays for a greater portion of bills from in-network dentists.

• Am I limited to a small number of dental providers with Denali Dental?
  With a Denali Dental & Vision plan, you can select from a long list of in-network providers, or you can visit an out-of-network dentist.

• How soon can I use my Denali Dental & Vision coverage after I enroll?
  Unlike the majority of PPOs, there is no waiting period before you can use your coverage. Once Denali Dental approves your enrollment and processes your first payment, you’ll receive an email with a link to your enrollment package with a certificate of coverage and proof of insurance card.

Conclusion

Denali Dental & Vision makes dental care more affordable without the need to wait for months to access your dental insurance benefits. The company rewards loyal customers with graduated benefits eventually reaching up to a $6,000 annual maximum. Denali Dental’s four free cleanings each year are recommended for high-risk groups like people with diabetes, gum disease or plaque buildup and other conditions. Finally, the company offers individual-plus-one plans, so couples with no children aren’t straddled with the cost of a family plan.

If you’re interested in learning more about Denali Dental, call (877) 540-4514 or visit their website for more information.