Dental DMO vs PPO – What is the difference?

Many people do not know the difference between a dental PPO and DMO insurance plan. Unfortunately, during their company’s open enrollment, they choose the cheaper option, locking themselves into 12 months of a DMO plan. I’ve seen it happen many times.

Most people think they’ll pick the DMO to save a few dollars. The problem is that DMO plans reimburse dentists very little money for the services they provide. You may think, “Why is this a problem? I don’t care how much my dentist makes.” Well, the trouble is, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to provide quality care at such low fees.

The second major issue with dental DMO plans is that you do not have any freedom when choosing providers. You either select of the few dentists that are actually part of the DMO network, or a dentist will be assigned to you! That’s right – either you pick one someone, or they’ll pick someone for you!

Lastly, DMO dentists receive payments from dental insurers every month for having you on their ‘roster’, regardless of whether or not you actually visit the dentist. That doesn’t sound right, does it?

Hopefully now you see why choosing a PPO plan and not a DMO plan is so important! If you have any questions, please reach out to me anytime.