Understanding the Gap in Senior Healthcare
One of the most significant oversights in traditional Medicare coverage is the absence of dental and vision benefits. This leaves millions of American seniors facing difficult choices about their oral and eye health. The reality is striking: approximately 74 million Americans lack dental insurance, representing nearly a quarter of the country’s population. Meanwhile, research indicates that roughly three-quarters of seniors plan to seek dental care within the next year, yet many lack the financial resources to cover these costs out-of-pocket.
This disconnect between healthcare needs and coverage availability has created a substantial market opportunity for insurance professionals willing to serve this underserved population.
What Makes United National Life’s Offering Distinctive
United National Life (UNL) has developed an approach to dental and vision coverage that differentiates itself from competitors in several meaningful ways.
Core Plan Features
The standard UNL plan operates on a straightforward principle: it reimburses policyholders for 80% of actual charges for covered expenses. This reasonable coinsurance level provides genuine financial relief without shifting the entire burden to the insurance provider.
Importantly, customers enjoy flexibility in selecting their annual benefit level. Rather than a one-size-fits-all cap, enrollees can choose from five options:
- $1,000
- $2,000
- $3,000
- $4,000
- $5,000
This flexibility allows consumers to align their coverage with their anticipated healthcare needs.
Core Plan Highlights
- Annual deductible of just $100
- No restrictive network limitations-clients can visit any provider
- Direct payment to policyholders, simplifying the claims process
Understanding Waiting Periods
Like most affordable dental plans, UNL’s product includes waiting period provisions. These structures align with industry norms and are necessary for the plan to maintain competitive pricing:
- 6-month waiting period: Covers more involved procedures such as eyeglass purchases and additional dental work beyond basic cleaning and exams
- 12-month waiting period: Applies to comprehensive dental procedures including bridges, crowns, dentures, root canals, extractions, and other significant restorative work
These waiting periods are important for clients to understand during the enrollment conversation, as they may influence purchase timing for those anticipating specific dental work.
Pricing Considerations
UNL’s plan typically costs a few dollars more monthly compared to alternative carriers. Despite this modest price premium, the comprehensive coverage it provides offers good value for clients seeking robust dental and vision protection. Additionally for just a few dollars more a month, your clients get to use any dentist they wish…no network required!
State Availability
The product is currently available in 33 states. Current State Approval Chart
Why You Should Add This Product
The Market Demand is Real
Insurance agents who dismiss ancillary products like dental coverage may be overlooking genuine client demand. Search data consistently shows that seniors actively seek dental insurance information online—in fact, some local agencies report that dental insurance-related searches rank among their top online lead sources.
The fundamental truth: seniors need dental and vision coverage, they cannot afford it through Medicare, and many are actively looking for solutions. This represents a straightforward business opportunity to offer products clients are already seeking.
Three Compelling Reasons Agents Should Offer Dental Plans
Medicare doesn’t cover it. Traditional Medicare provides virtually no dental benefits, leaving seniors responsible for 100% of costs from their own pockets.
Market penetration is low. With approximately one in four Americans lacking dental coverage, there’s minimal saturation in the marketplace, meaning less competition for your client relationships.
Seniors plan to visit the dentist. With more than three-quarters of seniors indicating they’ll seek dental care within the coming year, the demand is there—they just need guidance on payment options.
Getting Started with Dental Insurance Sales
Worried that adding dental insurance to your practice requires extensive additional training? Don’t be. These products are approachable for agents new to ancillary coverage, and the learning curve is far less steep than with complex products like long-term care or life insurance underwriting.
To begin offering United National Life’s dental plans, simply reach out to the team for guidance. You’ll find the process straightforward, and experienced professionals can walk you through the essentials quickly.
The Bottom Line
United National Life’s dental and vision insurance represents an opportunity to address a genuine client need while diversifying your product portfolio. With competitive pricing, flexible benefit levels ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 annually, and broad geographic availability, it’s worth a closer look—especially if you’ve dismissed ancillary products as an afterthought.
Your clients are already searching for these solutions. The question is whether you’ll be positioned to provide them. CONTACT OUR MARKETING DEPARTMENT TODAY AT (800)924-4727 to find out more about this great product.
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