How do you see your dental insurance? Many people see their plan as a backup that will help them out if they ever encounter a dental emergency, while others seldom give any thought to their coverage. However, because you pay for your policy month after month, it makes more sense to think about how you can truly maximize your dental insurance benefits. In this blog post, a dentist in Torrington discusses five simple and useful tips to help you do just that.
1. Do Not Neglect Preventive Care
According to expert recommendations, most people should visit their dentist twice a year for preventive appointments. In line with such recommendations, the majority of dental insurance plans cover checkups and cleanings at 100%. Not only do these routine visits make your mouth feel clean and fresh, but they also allow your dentist to catch oral health problems before they become serious.
2. Be Postpone Restorative Care
Dental insurance plans do not offer the same level of coverage for every service. While they usually cover preventive care at 100%, fillings and other minor restorative treatments might be covered at just 70% or 80%. Major procedures may receive only 40% or 50% coverage. Therefore, it may be beneficial for your budget to schedule restorative care ASAP, before oral health problems worsen to the point where you require extensive treatment.
3. Know When Your Policy Expires
Most PPO insurance policies operate on a calendar-year basis. At the beginning of 2020, you were given an annual maximum — a number that represents the greatest amount your insurance company will pay out for approved services. At the end of the year, any unused portion of that annual maximum expires. It will not roll over into 2021. Hence, if you know you need a certain procedure, it would be wise to schedule it before your 2020 benefits are gone forever.
4. Be Strategic with Major Procedures
It is common for major procedures to take place across multiple appointments. If a certain treatment might exceed your annual maximum, you can ask that your dental team schedules part of it this year and the rest of it next year. This strategy gives you the opportunity to use two annual maximum instead of just one.
5. Do Not Forget Your FSA
Some individuals have a flexible spending account (FSA) in addition to a normal dental insurance policy. An FSA has tax-free money that you can set aside for dental expenses. Most FSAs expire on December 31, so you have just a few months left to use the funds in your account.
Are you using your dental benefits to the full? Applying the tips in this article can benefit both your wallet and your oral health.
Meet Author
Dr. Virginia Graicerstein is the general dentist at Torrington Dental Care. She is a practitioner with decades of experience who provides top-quality services in an insurance-friendly practice. To learn more about how Dr. Graicerstein and our team can help you maximize your benefits, contact us at 860-489-8940.