If you are one of the millions of Americans who have dental insurance, you are probably well aware that you are likely to lose out on all of your unused benefits by the end of the calendar year. For most insurance companies, your benefits restart every January 1, but how does this affect the care that you receive? This means that this is the best time of year to take advantage of your dental insurance, especially if you have an issue that you are needing to have dealt with. Read on to learn more from your dentist in Mount Vernon about maximizing your dental benefits before December 31.
Why Should You Maximize Your Benefits Now?
For most dental insurance companies, there is an annual cap. When you reach this point, you become responsible for more of the costs out-of-pocket. However, if you haven’t utilized your benefits, it will expire at the end of the year. Unfortunately, it cannot be carried over to the new year. This is why scheduling your appointments and treatments for before the end of December will leave you with the lowest out-of-pocket costs.
How Can Your Benefits Be Maximized?
Here are just a few ways that you can maximize the benefits included with your dental insurance plan:
- Checkups and Cleanings: For most dental plans, there are two cleanings and checkups that are included each year, so if you aren’t utilizing these opportunities, you aren’t even close to completely maximizing your benefits. Taking advantage of these visits to the dentist can help you to avoid the need for future restorations, which will cost more. If it has been over six months since your last dental appointment, now is a great time for you to get back on track.
- Other Treatments: Dental insurance is typically structured on a 100-80-50 model, meaning that 100% of preventive care, 80% of basic treatments, and 50% of extensive treatments are covered. Fixing a minor problem now will be much more affordable rather than waiting to have to receive a more extensive (and expensive) treatment in the future.
- Avoiding Annual Deductible: This is the amount that you need to pay out of pocket until you are able to take advantage of your dental insurance benefits. At the beginning of each year, this fee resets. Most of the time, the smartest thing to do is get your treatments over with now before you need to worry about your deductible again.
Dental insurance is difficult to navigate sometimes, but it is great to take advantage of so you can get the essential care you need with minimal out-of-pocket costs. By understanding your plan, you can maximize your benefits.
About the Author
Dr. James Leon earned his dental doctorate from West Virginia University and has taken hundreds of hours of continuing education courses in order to expand his knowledge in the field. He has studied at several prestigious institutions including the Frank Spear Institute and the Pete Dawson Academy. The friendly team at Cross Creek Dental Care would be happy to accept any dental plan and work with your provider to maximize your benefits. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit their website or call (740) 392-6156.