UnitedHealthcare vs Aetna
Both Aetna and UnitedHealthcare have earned high user star ratings for their dental plans from customer reviews on Best Company. Both offer plans for individuals, families, and employer groups. UnitedHealthcare stands out for its Dental Gen plans designed for seniors.
Overview
UnitedHealthcare
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Aetna
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Ratings
UnitedHealthcare
Aetna
Reviews
UnitedHealthcare
Reviews
Aetna
Reviews for UnitedHealthcare
Helpful Favorable Review
Robert C.
September 30th, 2022
Fairly good coverage of routine treatments, cleanings. But if you have anything more advanced, there is a good chance they will deny it. We had a claim denied because my spouse's dentist insisted that a crown should be replaced (dentist's professional opinion). Because the original was not cracked, United denied it - twice. The reviewer was probably not a dentist. This is sort of like United maintaining that people get crowns replaced for entertainment value. Even appeals by the health care provider often get denied.
Helpful Critical Review
Vy Ha
January 31st, 2022
Birmingham, AL
Review Source
Individual health care plans through this program are more expensive and not as worth getting since they do not get accepted in a lot of states. I had used this insurance when I lived in a different state so I can say when I was still using it the variety of insurance differed was great in dental, vision and health
Reviews for Aetna
Helpful Favorable Review
roberto arcia
October 30th, 2021
Columbia, MO
DETAILS
Review Source
I have had Aetna dental health insurance for over three years now. They offer a great variety of different plans when it comes to dental coverage and price. I will continue to be a loyal Aetna member in the future because of how good their coverage extends and how many offices actually take them as insurance. It is truly the best dental health insurance.
Helpful Critical Review
Gabe Burton
September 8th, 2021
Riverton, UT
Aetna Dental, even with an upgrade, is little better than having no insurance at all which is what I had to do for a while before I found Delta Dental. No reputable dentist within an hours drive will accept basic AETNA dental. They will tell you to put your money in the bank for when you need service. They will cover next to nothing besides cleaning, minor fillings, and extractions if you can find a dentist to accept it.
The Final Word
While both Aetna and UnitedHealthcare offer dental insurance plans to individuals and families, Aetna only offers one dental insurance plan. If its Aetna Dental Direct® plan meets your needs, you don't need to look further. Aetna also offers a dental discount card Aetna® Vital Savings. This is not insurance. Instead, you pay a small monthly membership fee and receive discounts on dental services when you visit participating dentists.
In contrast, UnitedHealthcare makes it easy to get more specifics on its plans by entering your zip code. Once you enter your zip code, you'll see what plans are available in your area. You may find more dental plan options through UnitedHealthcare depending on your area.
UnitedHealthcare stands out for its Dental Gen plans. These plans are designed with seniors' unique needs in mind. For example, the plans include EPIC hearing coverage and allow you to add vision coverage to your plan as well. These plans are worth investigating further.
It's harder to choose between Aetna and UnitedHealthcare if you're an employer including dental insurance in your benefits package. Both companies offer plans with only in-network coverage and plans with in- and out-of-network coverage.
Aetna's in-network plan option is a Dental Maintenance Organization (DMO), which means that all dental care is managed through each member's primary dentist. UnitedHealthcare offers a similar network structure with its select managed care dental plans. It also offers in-network only plans that do not have the managed care structure.
Aetna offers two plans with in- and out-of-network coverage: Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Participating Dental Network (PDN) plans. UnitedHealthcare just offers PPO plans.
Aetna stands out from UnitedHealthcare for its dental indemnity group plans. These plans do not have set dental networks or require referrals. Some plans may have deductibles and annual maximums.
Both Aetna and UnitedHealthcare are good choices for dental insurance. If you're a senior, we recommend looking into UnitedHealthcare's Dental Gen plans. If you're an employer and want to offer an indemnity dental plan, Aetna is the way to go. If you're buying a dental insurance plan for yourself, you may find more options through UnitedHealthcare.
