We maintain one of the nation's largest dental networks and are always recruiting new dentists and specialists.
In the article below, we provide you:
Hollywood Smile Premier 2500
Discounted fees, typically 30% below average charges in your community
Plan Maximum: $2000
Hollywood Smile Premier Plus 1500
Plan Maximum: $1500
Hollywood Smile Premier Plus 2000
One of the largest nationwide networks with over 400,000 access points and 100,000 unique providers
Plan Maximum: $2000
Ameritas’ roots trace back to the 19th century. The company began as the The Old Line Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska in 1887. Ameritas has offered dental insurance since 1959 and vision insurance since 1984. Ameritas is organized as a mutual-based organization and enjoys an “A+” rating from Standard & Poors (indicating strong insurer financial strength) and an “A” rating from AM Best (indicating excellent insurer financial strength). Across all lines of business, the company served 5.7 million customers in 2022 according to Ameritas Mutual Holding Company Annual Report.
As one of the top providers of affordable dental and vision services, Ameritas has one of the most extensive dental networks in the United States with more than 592,000 access points. Customers can discuss claims questions with Ameritas' representatives from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. (midnight) Central Time Monday through Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Central Time on Fridays. Ameritas' claims contact center associates have earned Benchmark Portal's Center of Excellence award since 2006, an achievement held only by a handful of companies. Benchmark Portal calls attention to efficiency as well as effectiveness in customer communications, and manages the largest contact center metrics database in the world.
Ameritas has been accredited by the URAC. URAC is a nonprofit organization that first incorporated in 1990 under the name "Utilization Review Accreditation Commission" but later changed the organization's name to the acronym URAC as its accreditations expanded to health insurance plans, pharmacies, and other healthcare provider organizations.
Many of Ameritas' dental plans provide next-day coverage within the limits of their covered services. These plans also lack enrollment fees, leaving customers to pay just their normal monthly premiums and out-of-pocket fees for dental care. Preventive care, such as routine periodic exams and teeth cleanings, are covered at 100% when received from in-network providers.
DentalInsurance.com carries seven dental plan options from Ameritas and two of their vision plans.
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As detailed above, Ameritas has a stellar claims contact center. Their customer service motto is to do whatever it takes to help their customers get the care they need. Among the notable statistics associated with their contact center are:
For consumers with Original Medicare, dental coverage can be easily added with an Ameritas plan.
Ameritas has coverage for a broad array of dental services and some of their dental plans include orthodontia benefits for children.
Ameritas vision plans include savings on exams and eyewear when received from in-network providers.
The service charges displayed in the table assume the satisfaction of the annual deductible.
| Dallas Smile Plan | Hollywood Mega Smile 1500 | Hollywood Mega Smile 2000 | Hollywood Smile Premier 1500 | Hollywood Smile Premier 2500 | Hollywood Smile Premier Plus 1500 | Hollywood Smile Premier Plus 2000 | |
| Network Type | PPO | Indemnity Plan | Indemnity Plan | PPO | PPO | PPO | PPO |
| Annual Deductible per Enrollee | $100 per person per year (a maximum of 3 deductibles per family) | ||||||
| Maximum Benefit (single enrollee, amounts are per person per year) | Year 1: $1,500 Year 2: $2,500 Year 3: $3,000 | $1,500 ($750 for Major Services) | $2,000 ($1,000 for Major Services) | $1,500 ($750 for Major Services) | $2,500 ($1,250 for Major Services) | $1,500 ($750 for Major Services) | $2,000 ($1,000 for Major Services) |
| Annual Cleaning | Pays 100% of maximum allowable charge | 80% of costs covered in 1st year, 90% in 2nd, and 100% in the 3rd | Pays 100% of maximum allowable charge | ||||
| Traditional Fillings (one surface) | 50% of costs covered in 1st year, 60% in 2nd, and 80% in the 3rd | ||||||
| White Fillings (one surface) | 50% of costs covered in 1st year, 60% in 2nd, and 80% in the 3rd (limited to anterior teeth) | ||||||
| Tooth Extraction | 20% of costs covered in 1st year, 30% in 2nd, and 50% in the 3rd | ||||||
| Root Canal | 20% of costs covered in 1st year, 30% in 2nd, and 50% in the 3rd | ||||||
| Crown | 20% of costs covered in 1st year, 30% in 2nd, and 50% in the 3rd | ||||||
The monthly premium for Ameritas dental insurance is determined by several factors including the number of people covered by the policy (e.g. a single person or a multi-person family), the region in which the plan is purchased and used, and Ameritas plan selected. A review of Amertias plans and prices from across the country last year found options as low as $16.89 a month for a 32 year-old individual and as high as $65.03 for the same profile.
All our Ameritas dental plans cover preventive, basic, and major dental care though the specifics of that coverage differ from plan to plan. Common benefits are annual cleaning, teeth extraction, fillings, crowns, and root canals.
A consumer may call the toll-free number at the top of the page and a customer service representative can answer any questions. Additionally, a consumer can review the “See Full Plan Information” button underneath the More Details section for each plan listed on the price quote page. This page also has a link to the plan brochure for the dental insurance product.
Aside from monthly premium and covered dental services, a consumer should carefully review a plan’s maximum benefit and its out-of-pocket costs for covered services. The maximum benefit is the limit on what an insurance company will pay for covered dental care each year. Most plans have a maximum benefit (with the exception of HMO dental plans and dental savings plan).
The second issue, out-of-pocket costs for covered services refers to the consumer’s cost for care in terms of deductibles, copays, or coinsurance charges. Some dental plans have high out-of-pocket costs at the beginning of enrollment and lower them in the second and third year of continuous plan membership.
Insurance policies specify the conditions under which expenses are paid. Reviewing a plan brochure or Full Plan Information page (see early question) can help educate you on the major conditions of a dental plan. Among the conditions a consumer should watch for are waiting periods, which is a delay between the data an insurance policy becomes active for use and the date on which an larger cost dental procedure is covered (not all dental plans have dental insurance waiting periods).
A dentist’s network participation can have significant financial implications depending on the type of dental coverage you have. Some plans, such as HMOs and dental discount programs, have very restrictive networks and don’t offer their benefits through out-of-network dentists. PPO dental plans and indemnity plans, on the contrary, do allow plan members to use out-of-network dental professionals. However, the out-of-network care may come with more expensive copayments or coinsurance fees.
For more information, see our article on out-of-network dentists.
Our knowledgeable customer service team will assist you with any questions you may have prior to enrolling in a dental plan. They can guide you through the process of choosing coverage that matches your needs as well as your budget.