What's the difference between health/dental insurance and a health/dental plan?

I don't get insurance through work but I saw something online for health and dental plans. They seem a lot cheaper than getting insurance on my own. Has anyone tried this? Is there a catch I'm not seeing? Thanks!
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With a dental plan the company sponsoring the plan doesn't pay out anything. With dental insurance the insurance company pays the dentist. You have five options with dental. 1. Go without insurance. If you have good teeth and just want the basics you probably don't need any plan. A yearly cleaning, exam and even an occasional filling will cost you less without insurance. 2. Visit a local dental school. You can get many procedures done for a reduced price if you're willing to let them practice on you. You can find one here: http://www.yourhealthplanadvisor.com/Den… 3. Insurance - Depending upon the policy: cost $30-$60 per month. You pay a $50 deductible first, they have an annual maximum that they'll pay per year of $750 - $1500, they have a waiting period up to 18 months for major work and then you're paying 50% of the charges. Example - average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With insurance you pay $460 after paying 18 months of premium (around $800 or $900). Advantage - you can use any dentist with most plans. 4. Discount plans - Cost - $5-$12 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Also, hardly any dentists will accept the plan and when they do you MIGHT get a 10% discount, which is about the same discount you can get by paying cash. Example - average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With discount plans you pay around $827. Be very wary of these plans because most are scams. The people that sell these plans have little or no knowledge about health & dental insurance and do not need a license to sell them. The plans are not regulated by the state so you have no recourse when you have problems. Some states are starting to ban these plans from being sold. Here is an informative link http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/wes… concerning these plans. 5. Fee for Service discount plans - Cost $7-$15 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Many dentist will accept the plan (check providers first before signing up with any plan). When you use the plan there is a set fee that the dentist will charge you. Example - average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With fee for service plans you pay as little as $404. I'm an insurance agent and my personal plan is the fee for service plan. I got mine here http://www.dpbrokers.com/default.aspx?lo… specifically the Aetna Dental Access plan but which one you get depends upon your area and comparing the fee schedule to find the best for what you need covered.
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