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2.2

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: August 15th, 2024

Beam specializes in employer-sponsored dental plans. Beam approaches underwriting by taking data on how frequently plan members brush. Depending on members’ dental hygiene, premiums can be lowered by as much as 15 percent.

Beam offers three kinds of plans that are customizable to meet your needs. It also delivers a dental hygiene kit to members every six months, which is convenient and shows the company’s interest in supporting dental health.

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The Good

  • Dental Hygiene Kit Delivery
  • Innovative Approach to Pricing
  • Customizable Plans

Dental Hygiene Kit Delivery

Beam delivers toothpaste, floss, and replaceable brush heads to the homes of plan members every six months. Members also receive an electric toothbrush when they enroll. 

This convenient service means you won’t have to worry about restocking your dental care products.

Innovative Approach to Pricing

Beam toothbrushes connect to Beam’s app. Beam uses information on your group’s dental hygiene to underwrite and adjust monthly premiums. Insurance companies use underwriting to determine the risk associated with insuring an individual or a group. 

Depending on your group’s dental hygiene score, you can qualify for up to 15 percent off of monthly premiums. Beam calls these SmartPremiums.

Customizable Plans

Beam offers three types of plans: 

  • Plus — Classifies endodontic and periodontic care under BASIC.
  • Select — Has a high annual maximum and a low deductible.
  • Ultra — Offers up to $5,000 as an annual maximum and a small or no deductible.

Each can be customized to an employer’s needs.

Preventive care is fully covered under each of the plans. Child and adult orthodontic coverage is also available. Beam’s network is also nationwide.

Beam offers digital implementation and administrative tools. Plan members can also print their dental cards from Beam’s portal. Beam also offers assistance to members and providers filing claims.

Employers can purchase vision benefits through Beam. These plans are not offered by Beam, but through a vision benefits provider partner.

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The Bad

  • Limited Time in Business
  • Data Privacy and Security
  • Only Available Through Employers

Limited Time in Business

Beam is new to the dental insurance industry, so the company is not as experienced in the industry as others. However, its innovative approach to dental insurance underwriting and lowering costs may be worth a try if you’re looking for something new.

Data Privacy and Security

Beam’s technology and approach to underwriting is unique for the industry. However, Beam’s website is unclear on the level of data privacy and security associated with its app and connected toothbrush. Potential customers who are concerned about data privacy and security should reach out to a Beam representative.

Only Available Through Employers

Beam currently only offers group plans through employers. If you’re buying your own dental plan for yourself or family, you’ll need to consider other options.

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The Bottom Line

Beam’s approach to underwriting allows employers and employees to save on monthly premiums. Using Beam’s electric toothbrush and connecting it to Beam’s app tracks your dental hygiene; that data can then be used to lower your monthly premiums. People concerned about data security should ask Beam for more information on how the data is shared and what measures are in place to protect against hackers.

For employers, Beam offers helpful digital tools for administration and implementation.

For plan members, there are digital tools available to find in-network dentists and print dental cards. Having a dental hygiene kit delivered every six months and receiving an electric toothbrush are other nice benefits of working with Beam.

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1.4

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13 Reviews

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8%

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2 grade

8%

1 grade

85%

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Steven Medina

⭐☆☆☆☆ Absolutely terrible experience with Beam Dental Insurance. They covered a mere $43 of my $3800 root canal. After paying premiums faithfully, I expected better support. This coverage is a joke—barely enough to cover a dental cleaning, let alone major work. If you're looking for reliable insurance that actually helps with significant procedures, look elsewhere. Complete disappointment.

3 months ago

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John Kloucek

Just got off the phone with a Beam representative. I am having an issue with this Dental Insurance Company. I have been a private practice dentist for 36 years and have never had such a problem ad this billing for service. My patient broke a corner of his tooth in 2023 for which we did a filling. In 2024 he broke an additional corner of the same tooth. We have been informed that this insurance will only cover one procedure every two years for any tooth. I have never seen such a limitation of liability from an insurance company and would suggest that all who have this policy be very vigilante about reading the fine print. This is a new one on me how insurance plans are willing to receive premiums and find new ways to reject claims.

4 months ago

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Amanda Tyler Stockton, CA

DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS COVERAGE!!! Misleading - flat out lying about coverage details. Look at the documentation on their website - see where it says that out of network is 100% covered? What they fail to put on their documentation is that it's 100% of "allowable amount." Let's break down why this is shady (should be illegal) business - 1st nowhere on their coverage details documentation does it even go into "allowable amount." It's all big bold numbers 100% (this should definitely be illegal!) 2nd, not only should the "allowable amount" text be on the coverage document - if it was it should be written in the same size font/same location as where it says 100%. Even tiny text at the bottom of a page should be illegal. (again... it's not even on the documentation! illegal!) 3rd - good luck finding what the "allowable amount" is. It is impossible to make an informed decision without all the information. I contacted customer service and received a link to in-network providers. No response to their misleading/lying documentation. What?! In what world does that make sense? Stay away. Their in-network provider options are almost all chains, sales heavy with crappy service. Stay away. Pay for your own dental coverage if this is the only one your employer offers.

8 months ago

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Marcy K

Stay as far away from this insurance company as you can! They will deny everything and make you and your provider jump through a million unnecessary hoops and still continue to deny your legitimate claim until your year is up. Worst. ever. company.

8 months ago

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Michelle Ross Tyler, TX

I have been paying for this insurance going on a year now, I have gone to the dentist for one cleaning and to replace a cap on my tooth that was done about 8+ years prior. I was told by my dentists office that my insurance would cover half the cost upwards of $750 dollars so I paid the other half. Almost a year later I am now getting called by my dentists office stating they just can not get Beam to pay for anything. Beam agent Trey keeps asking for additional information stating they can not approve the payment until we provide the requested information and myself and the dentist office follow through and provide what they are asking for every time. However, after we provide documentation, that they asked for, they tell us yet again that they still need something else to approve it. This company is a joke and you are wasting your money paying for insurance that you will never be able to actually use. It would literally be cheaper if I had just paid out of pocket for the service as it now looks like I will be doing that anyways plus a year of insurance payments.

1 year ago

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Dale Crawford Northampton, MA

Beware when submitting a claim with Beam. I called prior to a procedure I was having done to verify that it would be covered. This was a very expensive procedure. I was assured that it was covered at 80%, and not given any additional information. My claim was denied after the procedure was done, and I was told there were requirements that were not met. However, these requirements were not mentioned and are nowhere to be found in writing. I was also told that they "recommend" submitting an estimate prior to the procedure for approval, which was also not mentioned to me. This company is a total scam. I am out over $5,000 because of their gross negligence. Highly do not recommend using this insurance company!!

2 years ago

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Jillaine Clark Orem, UT

I have just recently gotten Beam but I like them! They've been very reliable and quality as much ad Dental Insurance goes. I love having the toothbrush and app to track my brushing!

4 years ago

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Flawedplan Lifecouch Austin, TX

Lots of promises about full coverage, but check with them before scheduling any procedures or expect to pay heavily out of pocket. They deny legit claims based on inscrutable, nonsensical and arbitrary rules.

9 months ago

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Melissa Shaum Houston, TX

SCAM! Do NOT fall for this company’s LIES! They promise 80% payment for basic dental work, but in the fine print at the bottom of many pages they put in a disclaimer that they use to get out of paying. This company makes up an allowed amount for procedures that are not done by their contracted dentists and only pays for 80% of that amount. I would have so much more money if I would’ve paid everything myself -which I basically ended up doing anyways- instead of signing up for this scam of an “insurance”. This company takes your money and leaves you with the majority of the bill.

1 year ago

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Charlotte Boehms Centerville, TN

I have been trying and my HR department has been trying for 6 months to get my infant added to my dental plan and it has yet to be completed. Both myself and the HR department has been in circles with them and it hasn't been completed. As the employee, I am told I can't even speak to anyone to get it resolved, but then they haven't resolved it with the HR department either. I hope my company will stop using them! I also had to switch dentists because Beam wasn't accepted where I was going.

1 year ago

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Lindsay Jaime Rapid City, SD

Over 7 months ago I had to have a crown put on, on a tooth where my nerves are very sensitive and it causes so much pain. Beam has been refusing to pay their share for months. Now to re apply the claim again, I have go in a PAY OUT OF POCKET for an X-ray of this tooth. And they still may reject the claim. I am glad to be done with this company. What a scam.

1 year ago

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Jason Brown

I am a broker. BEAM’s broker support is non existent! They have screwed up billing on multiple client accounts. Request info and you are lucky to get a response after a week, if you ever get a response. They could care less about any agent or agency is the feeling I get.

2 years ago

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Poor patient

Scam, Scam Scam they collect your premium but when it is time to pay up for your dental work they delay or deny your claims. Stay away from these cons.

1 year ago