Can You Have More Than One Dental Insurance?

Dual Dental Insurance: Can You Have More Than One Plan?

If you want to lower your dental care costs, you may be wondering: Can you have more than one dental insurance plan? Yes, dual dental insurance can help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. Whether you’re covered through your employer and a spouse’s plan or pairing a primary plan with supplemental coverage, understanding how dual coverage works can help you make the most of your benefits.

4 min. read

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

You can have more than one dental insurance plan, though it’s important to understand how your primary and secondary coverage work together.
Primary and secondary dental insurance rules determine how much each plan will pay, based on the coordination of benefits (COB).
Aflac offers network and supplemental dental insurance plans that you can use together to reduce your out-of-pocket costs for essential dental care.

What is dual dental insurance?

Dual dental insurance is coverage you receive from two separate plans. When you have dual dental insurance, one plan is considered primary and the other is considered secondary.

Primary dental insurance is your main plan. It helps cover your eligible dental services according to its deductibles, copays, coinsurance and annual maximums.
Secondary dental insurance may help cover costs that your primary plan doesn't cover. Rather than replacing your primary insurance, these plans simply supplement it.

For example, Aflac’s network dental insurance can serve as your primary plan, providing coverage for preventive, basic and major services. Meanwhile, our supplemental dental insurance can provide cash benefits to help you pay for your remaining eligible out-of-pocket expenses, such as deductibles, copays or expenses that exceed your annual maximum.

How does primary and secondary dental insurance work?

If you’re wondering how primary and secondary dental insurance work, COB determines which plan pays first and how much each plan contributes. When you have dual coverage:¹

Your primary dental insurance processes the claim and pays its portion.
You receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) showing what was covered.
Your secondary plan reviews the EOB and remaining balance to determine its coverage contribution.
Your primary and secondary plans' combined payments can't exceed the total cost of the procedure.

COB typically applies to group (employer) plans, though some individual plans may also coordinate benefits. State laws and regulations play a significant role in benefit coordination, so it’s important to verify your plan’s details with your insurer directly.

How can you determine your primary vs. secondary plan?

When you have dual dental insurance coverage, it may not always be clear which plan is primary. You can narrow it down by reviewing the following factors:

Employee vs. dependent: The plan where you’re the primary policyholder is usually primary.²
Policy length: If you and your spouse both have dental insurance, the plan you’ve had longer is often the primary plan.

If you're still unsure, you can always confirm your plans’ status with your insurance providers.

Dual dental insurance example

To clarify how dual dental insurance works, let’s take a look at an example:

You need a dental procedure that costs $2,000.
Your primary plan covers 50% of this treatment, leaving you responsible for the remaining $1,000.
Your secondary plan may cover part or all of the remaining amount, depending on its coverage rules.

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How do primary and secondary dental insurance rules work?

Primary and secondary dental insurance rules can vary by plan and your state, but most follow similar guidelines.

Coverage limits

Both plans may have annual maximums. Your primary plan pays first, and your secondary plan may help with remaining eligible costs.

Covered services

Primary plans typically cover preventive, basic and major services. Secondary plans may help cover remaining costs, such as deductibles, coinsurance or expenses that exceed your primary plan’s annual maximum.

Coordination of benefits

COB determines the order of claims processing between plans. In most cases, your primary plan pays first, and your secondary plan reviews the remaining balance.

However, some plans use rules like:

Non-duplication of benefits: This means your secondary plan may not pay anything if it determines your primary plan has already covered the amount it would have paid.³ In this case, you may still be responsible for some out-of-pocket costs.
Maintenance of benefits: Sometimes, the secondary plan may adjust its payment based on its own limits, which may reduce how much it contributes.⁴

Due to these variations, your secondary plan may not always reduce your costs as much as expected.

Premiums

You’ll need to pay premiums for both insurance plans to maintain dual coverage. While this increases your monthly costs, it may lower your overall expenses if you need significant dental care.

When does dual dental insurance help?

Dual dental insurance can be helpful when:

You need costly procedures like crowns or root canals
Your primary plan doesn’t fully cover a service
You’ve reached your primary plan’s annual coverage limit

When dual coverage may not help as much

Dual coverage doesn’t always lead to major savings. You may only see limited benefits if:

Your secondary plan has non-duplication rules
Both of your plans have similar coverage limits
You’ve reached both plans’ annual maximums
Long waiting periods or significant exclusions apply

Understanding these limitations can help you set realistic expectations and avoid surprises.

Get primary and supplemental dental insurance from Aflac

Dual dental insurance can help reduce your out-of-pocket costs, but the benefits depend on how your plans coordinate.

At Aflac, our network dental insurance plans can serve as your primary coverage. We also offer supplemental dental insurance that pays cash benefits to help cover additional expenses.

Speak with an Aflac agent today to explore your options and find coverage that fits your needs and budget.

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