Aetna Dental Savings Plan Review

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Contributor, Benzinga
October 20, 2021
Aetna Dental Savings Plan
securely through Aetna Dental Savings Plan's website

The Aetna dental discount plan (also referred to as Aetna Vital Savings) provides you with an affordable option to help lower the cost of dental care. The dental savings plan is not a form of insurance and will not cover any percentage of your care costs. 

However, signing up for a discount plan allows you to save on almost every type of dental service. The average Aetna customer saved between 15% and 50% off their treatments with a discount plan.

Aetna’s dental discount options don’t only apply to dental treatments. In addition, you have the option to add prescription drug discounts, which can help you save up to 60% on select generic prescription medications. Even if you don’t add prescription drug coverage, Aetna’s discount plan options also extend to vision care, eyeglasses, weight-loss programs and additional health and wellness services. 

 

Best For
  • Those who need to pay for their discount plan on a month-to-month basis
Pros
  • Discounts available for upfront annual payments
  • Vision and health service discounts included with all discount plans
  • Discounts extend to cosmetic dental services
Cons
  • $20 sign-on fee for new enrollees
  • Discounts are not standardized across services

Aetna Dental Savings Plan Ratings at a Glance

Overall Rating
Aetna Customer Service
Customer Pricing
Customer Pricing
User Experience

Aetna Dental Savings Plan Overall Rating

With a wealth of payment options and benefits, Aetna’s dental discount plan can be a solid option for both individuals and families. In particular, the Aetna Vital Savings coverage can be a strong option for anyone who does not have traditional health or prescription insurance through their work. 

Though not a form of insurance, Aetna provides low-cost dental discounts that extend to multiple other health areas to expand and maximize your savings.  

Dental Discounts Available with Aetna Vital Savings

Aetna’s Vital Savings dental savings options current offer the following coverage choices: 

  • Annual individual dental-only savings
  • Annual family dental-only savings
  • Month-to-month individual dental-only savings
  • Month-to-month family dental-only savings
  • Annual individual dental plus prescription coverage
  • Annual family dental plus prescription coverage
  • Month-to-month individual dental plus prescription coverage
  • Month-to-month family dental plus prescription coverage

Aetna Customer Service

Aetna offers 2 contact methods that you can use to get in-touch with the company’s customer service team.

  • By phone: To get in-touch with Aetna’s team by phone, call 1-800-US-AETNA (1-800-872-3862). Customer service is available between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST on weekdays. This line will connect you with member services, who will then be able to redirect your call to an agent who has access to specific benefit information relevant to you.
  • Though online messaging: If you have an Aetna login, you can communicate with a representative directly through the company’s member profile page. Simply log into your account here to begin. If you don’t have an Aetna login, you can also send customer service a message using this form

Customer Pricing

Aetna offers 2 unique coverage options that include a varying schedule of benefits. If you choose the dental-only plan, you’ll receive discounts on almost any type of dental treatment or service that you receive through Aetna’s network of care providers. You can also choose Aetna’s dental savings plus prescription benefits, which provides you with discounts on a wide variety of generic drugs.

In addition to offering 2 plan options, you can also choose an individual plan or a family plan. Individual plans include coverage only for the person enrolled on the plan, while family plans include coverage for the individual on the discount plan, a spouse and dependents under the age of 18.

You can further control the costs of your discount plan by choosing to pay on an annual basis instead of month-to-month. Here’s what you can expect to pay for your coverage depending on the type of plan that you select, who it covers and your payment schedule.

Plan typeCoveragePayment schedulePrice
Dental-onlyIndividualMonth-to-month$7.99 a month
Dental-onlyFamilyMonth-to-month$10.99 a month
Dental-onlyIndividualAnnual$75 paid once a year
Dental-onlyFamilyAnnual$105 paid once a year
Dental plus prescriptionIndividualMonth-to-month$9.99 a month
Dental plus prescriptionFamilyMonth-to-month$12.99 a month
Dental plus prescriptionIndividualAnnual$95 paid once a year
Dental plus prescriptionFamilyAnnual$125 paid once a year

Another important thing to keep in mind: if you’re enrolling in a new plan, you’ll pay a one-time enrollment fee of $20. This fee is due when you sign up for your discount coverage and pay for your plan. If you renew your coverage annually, you won’t need to pay the fee again. 

Customer Pricing

Aetna’s primary product is its Aetna dental savings plan, which allows cardholders to save between 15% and 50% off almost every type of dental bill. As is the case with most dental savings plans, the discount that you’ll receive on your treatments will vary depending on the specific services rendered and the office you visit.

Aetna’s network of dental care providers is extensive, including more than 262,000 individual providers and locations. Aetna also offers a convenient online search tool that you can use to learn more about care providers near you that accept Aetna’s discount plan. Discounts are available on both elective and medically required procedures. 

Let’s take a look at a few of the most common dental care treatments that you might need to use your discounts on and how the Aetna dental discount plan can potentially help you save.

Procedure or treatmentAverage cost without discountsAverage cost with an Aetna dental discount planAverage savings
Braces$5,810$3,552$2,258
Cleaning for an adult$118$65$53
Filling$190$97$93
Root canal$820$506$314
Sealant (cost per tooth)$68$34$34
Dentures$1,395$817$408
X-rays$158$83$75

If you’re looking for additional benefits beyond dental discounts, you might want to consider Aetna’s dental discount plus prescription benefits. This discount plan option includes all of the benefits that come with the standard Aetna dental savings plan plus savings of up to 60% off generic prescription drugs. 

Discounts of up to 12% are available on brand-name prescription drugs as well. You can use your benefits at more than 68,000 pharmacies across the country.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of what Aetna’s prescription drug discount plan can help you save.

PrescriptionAverage cost without discountsAverage cost with an Aetna prescription discount planAverage savings on an annual basis
Effexor, 75mg (30 tablets)$143$116$372
Lipitor, 20mg (30 tablets)$137$114$276
Prevacid, 30 mg(30 capsules)$440$387$636
Wellbutrin, 150 mg(60 tablets)$224$181$516
Zoloft, 50 mg(30 tablets)$116$95$252

Finally, the Aetna dental discount plan and prescription discount plan both include additional discounts on the following:

  • Vision care: Discounts are also available on eyeglasses, eye exams and even LASIK surgery.
  • Gym memberships: Depending on your area, you may be able to claim a more affordable monthly gym membership by being an Aetna member.
  • Additional health services: Your Aetna discount membership can also provide you with discounts on additional health services, including massage therapy and weight-loss programs. Availability of these discounts vary depending on where you live. 

User Experience

If you’re searching for an easy way to save on your dental care costs, investing in a dental discount plan from Aetna can be a great idea. Unlike traditional dental insurance, you won’t need to file any type of claims to be reimbursed, nor will you need to receive a referral from a dentist in order to see an oral care specialist. This can make a dental discount plan more convenient for everyday use.

In addition to simple use, Aetna also makes it exceptionally easy to get signed onto coverage. You can sign up entirely online or you can connect with a representative to sign onto your plan. You can also track payments and your discount benefits using Aetna’s online customer portal, adding another layer of convenience.   

Aetna vs. Competitors

Aetna’s dental discount plans offer a few benefits over competitors, including the following.

  • Prescription drug coverage: Unlike most other dental discount plans, Aetna allows you to add low-cost discounts on prescription drugs. This can be especially beneficial if you’re looking to fill in some of the gaps left by Medicare coverage.
  • Month-to-month plan options: Most dental discount plans require that you pay your entire annual fee upfront when you sign onto coverage. Though you can save money by choosing to pay your entire due annually, Aetna also allows you to choose payments on a month-to-month basis as well. This can be beneficial for you if you’re looking for affordable discount options and you’re on a strict monthly budget.
  • Coverage for vision services: In addition to dental benefits, both options from Aetna also include coverage for standard vision services and treatments. You can even save on LASIK when you hold an Aetna dental discount plan, which is a rarely seen benefit. 

Get Started with Aetna

Interested in learning more about the Aetna dental discount plan? Start comparing your coverage options and considering multiple dental discount plan options near you. 

Though most dental discount plans don’t come with a waiting period, it’s a good idea to sign onto your plan before you need to use your discounts to ensure that your card arrives on time. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

Are dental discounts worth it?

A

Dental discount plans are an affordable alternative to traditional dental insurance. If you have a family who needs regular dental care, investing in a discount plan can help you see significant savings over time.

Q

How much is dental cleaning without insurance?

A

As a general rule, an adult can expect to pay about $118 for a routine cleaning without dental insurance.

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Dental Insurance Methodology

To determine the best dental insurance providers, we pored through all United States carriers. We winnowed the list by only including companies that have a wide coverage area and product offering. To further break down the list to the true best dental insurance providers, we gave weight to carriers that offer discounts, are available in all states and have multiple payment plan options.

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About Sarah Horvath

Sarah is an expert in the insurance, investing for retirement and cryptocurrency space.