Ameritas

Name: Ameritas
Rating: 1.2

Is This Your Business?

1.2

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37 User Reviews

2.3

Overall Score

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1.2

star star_border star_border star_border star_border

37 User Reviews

2.3

Overall Score

Compare

LAST UPDATED: April 17th, 2024

Ameritas began as a Nebraska life insurance company in 1887. It has grown as a financial institution to offer other kinds of insurance products and financial services. These include vision insurance, dental insurance, hearing coverage, life insurance, annuities, investing, retirement assistance, and disability income insurance. You can also connect with a financial professional through Ameritas.

Ameritas is also a mutual company, which means that it is owned by its policyholders, not stockholders. Being a mutual company allows Ameritas to focus on making decisions that benefit its policyholders.

Ameritas offers nice plan selection to individuals and employers. It has received high financial strength ratings. A high rating shows a company's financial stability and ability to pay claims. Ameritas is a good dental insurance company to work with.

Customer Review: Scott from Harrisburg, North Carolina

"We feel like we have had great coverage for our family since we started using Ameritas several years ago. I have a lot of anxiety involving dental procedures and I like that they cover nitrous to help ease my anxiousness. They cover most things 100% or at least a fair portion."

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The Good

Ameritas Dental Plans for Individuals
Customized Dental Plans for Businesses

Amertias Dental Plans for Individuals

Ameritas's dental coverage options vary based on your location. If you input your zip code and answer a few brief questions on the kind of insurance coverage you'd like, a list of available plans with coverage and cost details appears. You can compare plan coverage and costs to help you make a decision.

An insurance policy's cost-sharing structure will determine how much your out-of-pocket expenses are for different kinds of dental care. As you review the cost-sharing rules for different kinds of dental care, keep the definitions in mind.

Preventive services usually include cleanings and dental check-ups. Under most plans, preventive care is covered fully.

Basic services include dental procedures like fillings. Major services are generally things like dental implants, root canals, and crowns. Some plans may require a waiting period before you can get certain dental services.

Understanding the monthly premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, and covered services will help you by the insurance coverage you need.

Whichever plan you choose, keep in mind that rates tend to be lower if you visit a dentist in Ameritas's network. You can find an in-network provider online or via telephone.

Customized Dental Plans for Businesses

Ameritas has many options for employers interested in providing group dental insurance as part of their employees' benefits package:

Traditional Tailored Indemnity: These plans are pay-per-service. Ameritas will customize these plans to the needs of their client.
Value Source ®: This plan offers the typical dental benefits at a low cost.
EssentialDental ®: Like the Value Source ® plan, this plan offers coverage for the most basic and essential dental services.
Managed Care/Provider Network: Ameritas also customizes plans in this category, but does not provide more specifics on their website.
$ensible Choice ®: This plan focuses on the amount of money spent on dental care, not the kind of dental care received. Employers can include administrative services as part of the plan.
Dental Rewards ®: With this plan, qualifying individuals can roll over unused money from their maximum annual benefit to be used in future years.

Companies can also choose to include orthodontic and cosmetic options with the plans they offer employees.

Ameritas has several flexible options for employers providing group dental plans:

Core/Buy-up: Companies can offer one basic dental plan and allow employees to opt into a more expensive plan if they would like to.
Dual Choice Option: Similar to the Core/Buy-up option, employers can purchase one plan that gives employees two plan choices.
Voluntary: With these plans, employees must opt-in to pay for and receive dental coverage.
ASO (Administrative Services Only): Ameritas takes care of the administrative tasks for a self-funded employer-provided dental insurance.
Small Group Trust: These plans are focused on small business owners who want to provide benefits to their employees.

Employers interested in providing dental and vision benefits to employees can also offer Ameritas's Fusion plan. This plan allows members to have more control over their benefit dollars to put them where they need them most.

For smaller groups, Ameritas also offers Edge Dental and Vision plans. These plans are designed to be simple.

With many options for providing dental benefits, employers can find an Ameritas group dental plan to meet their needs.

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The Bad

Limited Availability

Limited Availability

Ameritas's dental insurance plans are not available nationwide. The plans available in specific states also varies. Check Ameritas's website to see what dental plans are available in your area.

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The Bottom Line

Ameritas is a great choice when looking at dental insurance companies. While not available in every state, Ameritas does offer dental plans in most states. The company also has many group dental plan options available for employers. Whether you are an employer or looking for individual coverage, you’ll be able to find a plan to meet your dental needs and budget from Ameritas.

As you review Ameritas dental plans, be sure to understand what coverage is offered, the monthly premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and annual maximum benefit. If you already have a dentist that you like, you may want to check Ameritas's network to see if your current dentist is an in-network provider. Analyzing these factors will help you find dental insurance that meets your needs.

Like many insurance companies, Ameritas carries multiple types of insurance products. For those interested in some of Ameritas's other products, like vision insurance, life insurance, or disability insurance, Ameritas allows you to work with one provider for all of these. You can also connect with a financial professional or use Ameritas's financial products with investing or annuities to prepare for retirement.

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User Reviews

Star Rating

1.2

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37 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

11%

4 grade

3 grade

2 grade

1 grade

78%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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tim cox

Do NOT fall for it! Member of their dental network and eyemed for 7 years at $120 a month. National association of realtors 'deal' that was sold to me. have submitted NO CLAIMS. That's $10,080 in premiums and NO CLAIMS. Wife had to have an extraction and they paid -0- ZERO. Like every other cut rate insurer, their business model is to get plugged in to your checking account and leach you for $120 a month. Your kids will drop off the policy but your premium will continue to leach you at the full rate. Customer service is worst ive experienced. They specifically train their CSRs how to delay and frustrate inbound callers to the point of giving up and the money leaching continues. dont fall for that unsolicited text message from some one-name scammer offering to get you covered. I just cancelled the leaching and the CSR didn't even ask why. After 7 years of paying $120 a month. A business model focused on 3 things. new customer sign up, minimal to zero claim payments and profits derived from items 1 and 2. Im a fool for falling for it. Let my stupidity be a lesson to anyone considering giving these crooks access to your $.

6 days ago

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Melody West

This is the worst Dental Insurance company I have ever dealt with. First you cannot find any Dentist that is a participating provider with this particular policy. When I ask why, they advise that Ameritas does not even allow an amount where you can break even. Most of the time they disallow the charge and the dentist will end up having to send in paperwork often 2 or 3 times before they will finally cover it. They all said they were tired of messing with this company. Now I get the experience of having to deal with them reducting charges by 50% and totally denying them. If your employer is thinking of purchasing this insurance...let them know how terrible and to look at their ratings!!!!!!!!!!!

1 month ago

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Robyn Ludlow Spanish Fork, UT

If I could give it zero stars I would. Before dental select joined ameritas they had good customer service and I never had any issues talking about claims for my family. They also covered procedures like they were supposed to and it wasn't a hassle to get claims covered. Now, my dentist has to resubmit claims a couple of times and I can't ever get any information from Ameritas on my husbands account even though he has given them permission to talk to me on multiple occassions. I am so grateful that we are no longer with Ameritas

1 month ago

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Rachel Hansen Lehi, UT

This company has been lying to my dental office for months. They keep claiming to be "medical" despite me verifying multiple times that it is indeed the dental card. When I finally called insurance directly to sort it out, they are indeed a dental network, but my claim was supposedly not filed within the 4 month limit after the appointment (which is apparently also unusual for insurance to do), claiming I would need to foot the bill. The dental office then had to send proof that they sent in the claim back when I had the appointment and multiple times over the following months. This is outright fraudulent.

2 months ago

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Mehdi Bakhshaei Mission Viejo, CA

They are Scamming. I wanted to share my experience with Ameritas Dental Implant Plan—it's been a letdown, to say the least. I've been on their plan for 3 to 4 years, faithfully paying $68 a month for coverage. But when I needed help for a broken tooth and an implant, they didn't cover a thing. No support, no coverage for the doctor's visit, let alone the implant procedure. Total disappointment—I feel like they're pulling a scam on everyone.

4 months ago

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sharon theodore San Leandro, CA

After being with this 3rd rate dental insurance company since 2020, I called and cancelled on 11/27/23, they back dated my cancellation date to the 25th so that they didn't have to pay for my last cleaning on the 27th. So FYI, you pay monthly but it's not the full month to month. Glad I got MUCH BETTER Insurance. RUN don't WALK away from this company. Good Riddance!!!!

4 months ago

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Brian Blackwell Midlothian, TX

I only use this dental insurance because they are the provider for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. I cracked a tooth while eating crunchy food and went to see my dentist because I was in pain, and could not chew on the left side of my mouth. My dentist determined that a crown was necessary in order to prevent further damage to the tooth, and to prevent having to eventually pulling the tooth. Ameritas denied me coverage for the crown, stating that there was not, "sufficient tooth loss to justify the crown." Their own policy says that a traumatic injury to a tooth is covered, which is exactly what I had - a traumatic injury. I appealed their decision on my own, which they denied. My dentist advocated for me by writing them a letter, in which he informed them that the crown was warranted, and that he had never dealt with any other insurance company that had denied similar coverage. He also asked for an independent review by another dentist, who determined that the crown and the build up of the damaged tooth were both warranted. I practice meticulous home teeth care. I have never had anything done to my teeth besides cleaning twice/year and a few fillings when I was a kid. I have not has any type of dental claim as an adult, and I am now 56 years old. Again, if I had another option for dental coverage on my own, I would go with another provider.

7 months ago

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V S San Jose, CA

Why I Won't Be Using Ameritas Again. As someone who's had to navigate the labyrinthine world of insurance claims, I can't emphasize enough the importance of good customer service and transparent communication. Unfortunately, my experience with Ameritas has been anything but smooth or pleasant. Firstly, their communication is virtually nonexistent. When it comes to something as critical as dental insurance claims, effective and timely communication is key. With Ameritas, all I experienced were dead ends. The customer service team has been consistently arrogant, rude, and unhelpful. It felt like every interaction was a battle of wills rather than an attempt to resolve my issues. What's even more frustrating is the constant loop of providing more and more information, despite having given them everything they initially requested. The exercise seemed less about verification and more about stalling my claim. As a tech-savvy individual, I was stunned to find that they don't offer any online portals for document submissions. In the era of digital transformation, this feels like a glaring oversight. Their only means of contact are a perpetually busy phone line and a generic corporate email. The lack of efficiency and modernity is frustrating and time-consuming. Lastly, I was bewildered when I received mail from them that didn't even include a return envelope or a clear return address. Such an elementary oversight gives the impression of a company that is disorganized and indifferent to customer convenience. I even gave them a heads-up that I'd be writing a review about my experience, and the response was essentially, "Go ahead." That level of disregard for customer feedback was the final straw for me. In summary, if you're looking for a company that values your time, understands the importance of effective communication, and offers reliable customer service, I would strongly advise steering clear of Ameritas. Based on my experience, they have a long way to go in terms of becoming a customer-centric organization. I'm sharing this as a cautionary tale in hopes that others won't have to go through the same ordeal.

7 months ago

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Barrios Yasser Salt Lake City, UT

Denied procedure just because they didn't considered necessary. Even when a doctor who has a degree and years of experience recommended it.

1 month ago

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Scott Harrisburg, NC

We feel like we have had great coverage for our family since we started using Ameritas several years ago. I have a lot of anxiety involving dental procedures and I like that they cover nitrous to help ease my anxiousness. They cover most things 100% or at least a fair portion.

4 years ago

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Cynthia G. Harrisville, MI

I agree with the 65% of reviewers that this company is terrible to deal with. I have had them for over 3 years and so far all they have covered are a few cleanings. I recently submitted a claim for $1400 to them and they paid $80.40. Like others have said, they will do anything to get out of paying a claim. The customer service person I spoke to was rude and told me I needed to show proof that the procedure I had done was necessary. That is not their role in this! They are to pay the claims, not dictate the care or need for procedures. Do they think I had a tooth extracted for no reason? Save your money and look for a reputable insurance company, this isn't it.

11 months ago

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Ellen Woods Victoria, TX

I had broken a back molar and went to the dentist. Turns out it was wisdom tooth with curved in roots and I'd need a dental surgeon. I went for a consultation with the surgeon and before I even saw him, I was informed that this insurance has A ONE YEAR WAITING PERIOD for this type of procedure. What? I should have known this insurance was garbage from the get-go. The ID is PAPER. Needless to say, I left and once home, I obtained CHEAPER dental insurance that covers this procedure with no wait period. It's also a national insurance company. Now I'm having a problem cancelling this Ameritas Dental. Of course.

2 years ago Edited April 12, 2022

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Brenda Watson McKenzie, TN

I took this insurance after retirement. I would not cover much of anything. I will try to get my previous insurance back. This is like having no insurance at all.

3 months ago

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Laura Cummings Orlando, FL

We hate this company. We both have coverage, but they put me in as primary insured, my husband as secondary. We go to the dentist together, mine is paid, his claim denied. Been on hold for half hour waiting for a supervisor. Apparently they don’t have any:

6 months ago

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Doug Frazee Farmington, MN

They are very good at taking premiums. Every month $50 was taken out of my bank like clockwork. Now paying claims is a different story: they advertise 3 cleanings a year but in reality they only paid 25%. They say the pay 50% of fillings but expect a one time fee of $150. I ended up paying more fotos a filling and cleaning than if I paid out of pocket

9 months ago

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LT B Montgomery, TX

Don't waste your money. They denied a claim for a crown, even though the tooth was cracked in 3 places and the dentist said it needed to be replaced immediately. Plus, good luck getting someone on the phone. When you call, you'll be told every 30 seconds how important your call is, so by the time you've been on hold for 30 minutes you've heard that looping message 60 times.

10 months ago

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Shelly Copeland Cookeville, TN

I would give them NEGATIVE stars if possible! The dental coverage through #NAR for #Realtors was NOTHING like what was described to be verbally by by #RealtorsMarketplace rep OR in WRITING contained in my Certification of Coverage. Impossible to speak to a LIVE Claims Rep after you enroll and give them your credit card#, I have literally been trying today FOR 4 HOURS. They will offer to CALLBACK, when they do, I'm ALWAYS #1 in the QUE, and 45 mins later, I'm still holding. I finally called my IN NETWORK provider and they told me EVERY claim they currently have with #Ameritas is OUTSTANDING & they are getting out of their network because of it! I was visiting a Periodontist 100 miles from my town to be "In Network". I put down $400 deposit and paid $110 for exam and Xrays I did NOT need bc I have them from my dentist already paid for BY ME. ****DO NOT GET INSURANCE WITH THIS COMPANY, YOU WILL LIVE TO REGRET IT*** I am contacting the National Association of Realtors to plead with them to find us another reputable dental insurance provider, PLEASE!!

1 year ago

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Monique Austin Greensboro, NC

Absolutely terrible provider … and they should be ashamed !!! “Missing tooth clause” - if a tooth was extracted on another policy … we will not cover ANY further care to replace the tooth ( implant / crown / bridge ) ….. No prior notice … the “booklet” with explanation of benefits has never been sent - in 2 years !!!! So here I am … nearly 2 years and $5k later … and I am dumped with another 2k and I have non needed braces - and a metal peg !!! I have been trying to get into my online account for over a year … repeated errors and jargon appears with varying messaging. Suddenly today - after my calls - the website is up and running - and on the first page of my benefits - a note is entered notating the missing tooth clause - come on yall !!!!! Don’t update it because I called in !!! Communication is key … and this company is terrible !!! These are real people you are out here screwing over !!!! Don’t worry - I’ll be here - every single day - you will remember my name !!!

1 year ago

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Mary Anne McElmurray Salem, VA

Ameritas denied covering a crown because I had a crack in my tooth. They responded that if I had lost the tooth or part of the tooth material it would have been covered, and that a crack is not a suitable reason for coverage. My dentist responded twice but twice my appeal and coverage was denied. I then called Ameritas myself and asked to speak to a claims supervisor. The supervisor was very condescending and said that a crack could result from several sources--trauma, clenched jaws, etc--and that was why my crown was not covered. WHEN YOU NEED A CROWN YOU NEED A CROWN: THE PRECIPITATING CAUSE SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. COVERAGE SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON CAUSE!

1 year ago

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prad Coppell, TX

Plan says Preventative covered at 100%, but they don't cover the x-rays needed for compressive check up. Most x-rays needed for checkups are categorized as Type3 or Type2, which is sneaky practice. Similarly, normal tooth filling is again-Type3 and does not cover resin or porcelain material. They cover old silver fillings. Again Sneaky Practice. There are so many hidden restrictions on which they cover. For example they don't cover Limited oral evaluation, which is preventive. It is again sneaky. They advertise as though they cover 100% but use sneaky practice of putting restrictions on the normal procedures that doctor usually perform.

1 year ago

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Rachael Berhan Salt Lake City, UT

This insurance helped cover my wisdom tooth removal costs and my pinhole procedure. It didn't cover as much of my wisdom tooth removal as I was hoping. It significantly brought down the cost of the pinhole procedure, so thankful!

2 years ago

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Nena McFarland Aurora, CO

Ameritas provided the lowest cost and most value for dental insurance of all that I had reviewed. My dentist has not had problems with billing that I know of. I had next day coverage as I had lost my employer-paid plan.

3 years ago

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Vicki L Brooks Bakersfield, CA

Good coverage and never any billing or claim issues. Also seems most Dentists accept it. At least mine does and has for a long time. I am picky and do not want to ever have to change my dentist.

3 years ago

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Harvey Finch

Been trying to cancel this plan for months. All phones are disconnected and I am continually being charged monthly. On top of that they cover so little my dental cleanings went from $70 to $179. DO NOT USE

7 months ago

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Verified Customer

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Bill Lee

Only pay half of the cost of crowns and other major procedures. Cover all the cost of two check ups a year.

3 years ago

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Amanda w Minneapolis, MN

Absolute garbage policy. They do not cover anything and have millions of terms and loopholes that just confuse the customer. It feels like a total scam. When you call for explanation they are rude and short with you. I am the type of person who reads things carefully and makes educated decisions, and I still can't get a straight answer and pay hundreds if not thousands for any small dental work. Changing companies immediately.

1 year ago

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Kiair Martin Lynchburg, VA

If I could give NO STARS I WOULD!!!! Totally misleading company! I’ve had Ameritas dental for almost two years and just realized today NOTHING I’ve had done was ever covered!!!!! Went and got a crown redone and have a bill of almost 3000 because they don’t cover replacement crowns (even though I paid out of my own pocket for the crown long before I even got coverage from Ameritas). Very misleading and a waste of years of paying for basically nothing!!!!

1 year ago

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Justin Schmorr Bridgeport, CT

If I could give negative stars I would! Worst customer service for dental plan ever. No returned phone calls from supervisor, wrong info from agent cost me hundreds of dollars. They go back listen to call and tell me even though they screwed up its nothing they can do. Tell me something is covered for insurance Incorectly admit it was a mistake and don't pay me a penny back for it. Seems perfectly fair to me. Worst ever!

2 years ago

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Kathryn Welch Saline, MI

Ameritas dental coverage is very poor. Went to in network dentist for a crown, dentist had to submit the claim (only be mail) 5 times over that many months. In the end the insurance only covered $270!! I paid three times that for the dental "insurance" premiums over those 5 months. I've cancelled our coverage and moving to another more reputable insurer. Ameritas is a scam for dental coverage - the premiums are high for the coverage provided and they take forever to process claims, so you really don't know how bad the coverage is until you have paid for months and months of coverage.

2 years ago

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CS Person-Tillman Chicago, IL

Misrepresentation of coverage! They sell 50% coverage! Over and over it says a specific %. It's all a lie. If lucky they cover about 30%. How does a senior citizen plan dental work when everything costs so much more...than what this company thinks it should cost.

1 year ago

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Debbie L Zielke-Arends Princeville, IL

They are a scam. They make claims to pay way more than they actually do. My husband had a crown and they didn't pay a dime. They said because he had a cleaning and x-ray he used up all his benefits. Best thing we ever did was go to cancel with them and go with a real dental insurance!

2 years ago

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asad ali shah

Their in network places are very rare to find and thus they will simply tell you that your claim is refused because this is out of network

7 months ago

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Danny Ponce Long Beach, CA

Do not buy insurance from them they are a scam they said I can leave the company whenever and once I tried they told me wait 6 months so do not buy from them They are scammers!!!

1 year ago

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Richard Boston, MA

Coverage for the cost seems good if you use network providers.

10 months ago

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Jordan Lexington, SC

I wish I could give zero starts worst company I’ve dealt with. I went threw a insurance broker I contacted them and they could not find me but they took my money

1 year ago

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JoAnn Lucas Austin, TX

Service people Very helpful and friendly. The Web site helpful and easy to use.

4 years ago

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Tamra Cater Bogalusa, LA

Awful company. Didn't cover very much and it took months for a claim to go through

2 years ago