SeniorLiving.org’s Best Recommendations for Dental Supplement Plans

With excellent customer service, low costs, and nationwide availability, it’s no wonder Humana made our list of Medicare Advantage plans with dental coverage. Humana serves almost 9 million Medicare beneficiaries, more than half of whom have signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan. For the past four years, Humana has ranked No. 1 for customer experience quality among health insurance carriers in Forrester’s U.S. Customer Experience Benchmark survey.1 If you’re looking for a company that cares about its customers and provides a great all-around experience — from getting an initial quote to accessing dental coverage — Humana may be a great choice.

Plans and Pricing

Many of Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans cover prescriptions, dental, hearing, vision, OTC allowance, and insulin savings for well-rounded coverage. Humana has Medicare Advantage plans with $0 monthly premiums and up to $6,000 combined preventive and comprehensive dental coverage, which is the highest dental benefit we found from any carrier we reviewed. Humana also has multiple plans with $0 copays and 0 percent coinsurance.

» Learn About: Humana and senior care coverage

Our team found 16 unique plans available in Miami, all with coverage for routine dental exams. You can pay an additional premium for comprehensive dental coverage, much like you can with Anthem. We saw a variety of HMO and PPO plans with that basic dental coverage and other perks, such as vision, hearing, and a SilverSneakers membership. Pricing varies by location and other factors, but we found monthly premiums between $0 and $59, not including the cost of comprehensive dental coverage. Since standard coverage with Humana is limited, you may want to pay the extra premium each month for comprehensive coverage so you can take advantage of the high benefit amounts. Just remember that the cost of supplemental dental coverage will depend on your plan and location.

Availability

Humana is available in 48 states and Washington, D.C., making it one of the most widely available Medicare Advantage carriers that offers dental benefits. For Medicare beneficiaries who have struggled to find a carrier that serves their area, Humana could be a great solution. Humana’s dental coverage extends to more than 135,000 in-network providers, which is ideal for older adults and other Medicare beneficiaries who like having more freedom to choose their dentist.

» Our Full Review: Humana Medicare Advantage Plans Review

Anthem is part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield network, the second-largest health insurance company in the United States. If your dental needs surpass traditional dental plan coverage, Anthem may be a solid choice. Several of Anthem’s Medicare Advantage plans include optional benefits beyond basic dental — far more than what Humana offers.

Anthem’s enhanced dental and vision packages give you higher coverage limits when you visit a provider for preventive, restorative, and surgical dental care, along with extended vision benefits. If you’re looking for more than routine dental coverage, Anthem’s enhanced dental option is an excellent choice. We’re also big fans of Anthem’s no-cost Flex Account feature that provides a $500 annual allowance to spend on additional dental, vision, or hearing needs above your existing plan benefit.

Plans and Pricing

Like Humana, Anthem may give you additional benefits with a Medicare Advantage plan, like quarterly OTC product allowances, vision coverage, and hearing coverage. Anthem really sets itself apart with the option to add even more benefits for dental and hearing.

Many of the plans had preventive and comprehensive dental coverage, but we also had the option to add benefits packages with $0 copays for up to two oral exams, two dental cleanings, two fluoride treatments, and one full-mouth dental X-ray per year. The Enhanced packages also offer 20 percent coverage for restorative dental services such as dentures or dental implants, as well as 50 percent coverage for most endodontic, periodontic, and oral surgery dental services.

» Related Reading: Affordable Dental Care for Seniors

Prices on enhanced dental coverage vary, because the coverage is offered through Liberty Dental. We researched plans in Los Angeles, and there were seven Medicare Advantage plans with dental benefits, ranging from preventive-only to preventive and comprehensive coverage (maximum annual dental benefits start at $1,500 per year). All seven plans had $0 premiums. One thing we didn’t like was that, unlike Humana and Aetna, Anthem offered only HMO plans in our search area (but it offers regional PPOs in some states). HMO plans generally offer lower out-of-pocket costs, but they also limit coverage to in-network providers only.

Availability

Anthem is among SeniorLiving.org’s top carriers for Medicare Advantage plans, especially if you want your dental coverage to extend beyond preventive things such as annual dental exams. It’s available in 14 states though: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. That’s great if you want more comprehensive coverage and live in one of those states, but you’re out of luck if you live elsewhere. That said, Anthem has a relatively large network of over 136,000 providers, so most Medicare beneficiaries living in a state with an Anthem plan should have no trouble finding a dentist.

» Our Full Review: Anthem Medicare Advantage Plans Review

People who love to travel may want to consider Aetna Medicare Advantage plans. Aetna boasts one of the largest networks of dental providers nationwide and currently serves over 2.7 million Medicare Advantage members in 43 states and Washington, D.C. Some Medicare beneficiaries may like the Direct Member Reimbursement plan, with which enrollees get a set allowance each year they can use for most dental services at any time. The company’s dental provider network covers any dentist who has not opted out of Medicare.

» You Might Like: Aetna Dental Plans for Seniors

Plans and Pricing

We were pleasantly surprised by the variety of Medicare Advantage plans offered through Aetna. We researched plans available to Medicare beneficiaries in Chicago, and seven of the 10 plans available offered some level of dental coverage. The majority were PPOs, but we could choose between HMOs and PPOs. That gives Medicare beneficiaries the ability to pick a plan type that best fits their lifestyle and budget. Monthly premiums for our search area fell between $0 and $179.

» Learn More: Everything You Need to Know About Insurance for Seniors

Like Humana, Aetna offers a variety of benefits in addition to dental coverage. Most plans have $0 deductibles, a Part B premium reduction, and vision, hearing, and prescription drug coverage. Aetna’s $3,000 maximum dental benefit can’t compare to some of Humana’s benefit offerings, but it still beats the standard benefits available through Cigna and Anthem.

Availability

Aetna Medicare Advantage plans are available in 43 states plus the District of Columbia, which means most beneficiaries across the country should be able to find a plan in their area. If you opt for a PPO plan, you can also access one of the largest networks in the country, with more than 445,000 dental providers. We appreciate Aetna’s extensive provider network and nationwide accessibility, but it’s still a bit smaller than AARP’s network.

» Our Full Review: Aetna Medicare Advantage Plans Review

Serving more than 1.2 million Medicare Advantage members and 4.1 million prescription drug plan members in 32 states, WellCare’s network and benefits are impressive. It also has plenty of Medicare Advantage perks, including plans with both preventive and comprehensive dental coverage. Many of its plans come with extra benefits, too. From free gift cards and fitness membership to practitioner and OTC product discounts, WellCare makes penny-pinching a breeze.

Plans and Pricing

Most WellCare Medicare Advantage plans come with prescription drug coverage, dental, hearing, and vision. You can also access interesting perks, such as $0 copay telehealth services, LifeMart memberships, and OTC product discount programs. We appreciate that WellCare offers a variety of HMO and PPO plans with relatively low out-of-pocket costs. A Medicare beneficiary in Oklahoma City, for example, could expect to pay between $0 and $35 per month for plans that have preventive and comprehensive dental coverage benefits up to $2,000 or $3,000 per year. We noticed that copays tend to be higher with WellCare plans, however, especially compared to the $0 copays of Humana and Anthem.

WellCare’s Medicare Advantage plans with dental may be cost-effective for many subscribers. People living on a fixed income will appreciate the added money-saving perks. Plus, the free fitness membership, discounts on alternative medicine, and OTC savings program help set up Medicare beneficiaries, including seniors, for a healthy lifestyle. Keep in mind that plan benefits vary by location, and not all WellCare plans include dental.

Availability

WellCare offers Medicare Advantage plans with dental coverage in 32 states. It has much greater availability than carriers like Anthem, but it pales in comparison to Humana, Aetna, and AARP, which are available in the vast majority of counties nationwide. WellCare operates with several networks, including Liberty Dental and Envolve Dental. For Medicare beneficiaries who have access to a WellCare Medicare Advantage plan, finding a dental provider in your area should be easy.

» Our Full Review: WellCare Medicare Advantage Plans Review

Cigna made our list for its impressive plan benefits, especially for preventive dental care. Some plans cover up to $1,500 for preventive and comprehensive dental care. It’s not as robust in dental benefits as Humana and Aetna, but Cigna is great for Medicare beneficiaries who just want affordable dental coverage with their plans. Many Cigna Medicare Advantage plans have $0 monthly premiums and $0 copayments for a wide range of dental services, including dental exams, teeth cleanings, and X-rays. 

Plans and Pricing

Cigna offers multiple HMO and PPO Medicare Advantage plans, most of which include dental, prescription drug, vision, hearing, OTC allowance, and fitness program memberships. We researched plans in Dallas and found six plans with dental coverage. Unfortunately, none of the plans in our search area offered unlimited benefits for preventive care, but that’s a feature that eligible beneficiaries can access in many states. Instead, we found plans with an average annual dental benefit of $1,500 and no monthly premiums. Like WellCare, Cigna has copays that can be a little higher than many other carriers.

Availability

Cigna has over 270,000 dental provider locations worldwide and serves almost 600,000 Medicare Advantage plan members, but Cigna Medicare Advantage is available in only 29 states and the District of Columbia. That makes Cigna accessible to more Medicare beneficiaries than Anthem, but far fewer than Humana or AARP.

» Our Full Review: Cigna Medicare Advantage Plans Review

AARP from UnitedHealthcare offers $0 premium plans with dental coverage. UnitedHealthcare serves over 6.5 million people with Medicare Advantage plans, and 2.5 million customers enjoy a $0 premium. Dental coverage is available with most Medicare Advantage plans that also offer $0 copays for in-network dental providers. Signing up for a UnitedHealthcare plan through AARP requires you to get an AARP membership (starting at $12 per year), but the membership includes countless benefits and resources for older adults that make it well worth the price.

» Related Reading: A Guide to AARP Memberships

Plans and Pricing

AARP’s Medicare Advantage plans are unique, because they offer a lot of variety in dental benefits. We researched plans available in Seattle and found 11 — 10 of which included some form of dental coverage. The most basic coverage includes a maximum benefit of $500 per year (preventive and comprehensive), with $0 copays for preventive care. The highest benefit we found is $2,500 for dental. Monthly premiums were between $0 and $337, but they vary by location and individual.

Similar to Humana and Anthem, AARP lets you add a Platinum Dental Rider to select plans for even more coverage. We appreciated that UnitedHealthcare gave us quotes so we would know the total cost of our plan with the rider included. The rider adds a monthly premium of between $50 and $56 to the cost of the plan, and provides an additional $1,500 in annual benefits, 50 percent coinsurance for bridges and dentures, and greater out-of-network coverage. The premiums with the rider can get quite high, however, so the plan is best for Medicare beneficiaries who anticipate major dental procedures or frequent visits to the dentist.

Availability

AARP Medicare Advantage plans are available to AARP members in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Alaska is the only state where AARP’s Medicare Advantage plans are not available. Since AARP plans are sold through UnitedHealthcare, beneficiaries have access to more than 80,000 dental providers nationwide. That makes it one of the largest networks in the country, surpassing Humana and Aetna.

» Our Full Review: AARP Medicare Advantage Plans Review