Imagine at the turn of every year, your New Year resolution is to hit the gym to kickstart a year full of a healthy lifestyle. But you don't go more than a few times, and your yearly membership is wasted. This often happens when people need to utilize their dental insurance. It may be because they don't benefit from the annual package, which mainly doesn't carry over, or employees need to know their employers cover some dental insurance.
Let's share some of the best tips and tricks that will allow you to get the most out of your dental coverage this year.
1.Schedule Your Visits Well Before Time
You should not only visit your dentist when you feel pain or your teeth start turning yellow. You should regularly visit your dentist once a month, so book your visits well in advance, if you can, for at least 2-3 months. If that is too much of a hassle, each time you visit them, book the next appointment right after you are done. You will be surprised that most dentists have fully booked calendars for months.
2.Fillings are Cheaper Than Crowns
Most insurance companies promote preventive care rather than reactive. So, most of the time, they fully cover visitation charges, x-rays, fillings, and such while covering only 50% of some of the most complex procedures. Similarly, implementing fillings costs less and prevents further degradation of your teeth, while placing crowns costs more and typically is for advanced cases. So, it is better to pay less and understand the motivation of insurance companies than pay more out of your pocket for something like a crown or surgery.
3.Proactive Healthy Practices
Using the maximum benefit from your dental insurance coverage will help you live a healthy life. Taking care of your teeth is not just for eating; everything you eat will not take germs inside your stomach. So, taking care of gum diseases and preventing them from happening is better for your overall health.
4.What is Your Early Maximum?
Most individuals, even with good insurance, sometimes hold off on their treatment as they are unaware of how much their insurance covers. This is why you should know how much your insurance has limits so you can take a vital treatment instead of damaging your health.
For example, most coverage plans have a yearly limit of around $1,000-1,500; sometimes, it can be up to $2,000 in children's cases. Now, these amounts don't carry over, so if you or your dependents need treatment, you should take it and see if it falls under this limit. Furthermore, regular cleaning, filling, and examination are easily covered by this amount, so make sure you make regular visits to avoid more cost and discomfort in the long run.
5.Use Your Compulsory Exams
Most insurances cover two yearly exams, which most doctors recommend, and will clean your teeth and gums. These cleaning exams are more than enough if you brush regularly and don't drink too many soft drinks. Just remember, they don't carry over and reset each year. Even if you think you are healthy, you should make a regular checkup visit to the dentist.
6.Understand the Difference Between Deductibles and Co-pays
When it comes to kids or yourself, if you don't need restorative care or treatment, you can make regular visits and have to pay a typical co-pay yearly. But if you are taking restorative care, you must pay a one-time yearly fee deductible, somewhere between $50-200. It is better to plan treatment in the same year and pay deductibles just once, and from the following year, you will take regular exams and only have to pay the premiums.
Generally, most dental insurance coverage plans on the market will fall under the 100-80-50 coverage, so learn what these numbers mean. The 100 here tells us that 100% of your treatment/visitation will be covered and primarily includes examinations during the visits and cleaning during then. The 80 here means most essential treatments, such as cavity fillings, will be covered for 80% of the amount. Finally, the last number, 50, is for advanced therapies and severe and extensive issues, where the insurance covers only 50% of the cost.
So, getting more examinations, clearings, and early treatment will save you discomfort and financial burden later.
7.Visit Dentists That are Part of Your Insurance Network
Try to get a list of clinics and dentists on your insurance's coverage so that you don't have to pay surcharges on each visit, even if the amount is covered. If you regularly visit dentists in the network, you can save up to 30% with each treatment/visit. The more money you save, the more you will have in your bank account.
8.Don't Forget Your Renewal Dates
If you haven't last visited the dentist a long time ago and need treatment, check your insurance plan's renewal date first. If you can, and it's near, book an appointment before the renewal date. This way, you can gain the most benefit out of it, and if you need more treatment, you can book the subsequent costly treatment as soon as the renewal date is passed. This way, you can save on advanced treatments as the remaining coverage doesn't carry over.
Ending Comments
The most important thing to understand is that insurance coverage isn't like a bank account. What yearly coverage doesn't add up? If you haven't yet utilized $1,000 from this year and your max is $1,500 the following year, you won't have $2,500. The maximum will remain the same. Based on the recommendations shared here, please know what essential considerations you must make.
Furthermore, having a good relationship with your agent is always great, as you can discuss important things and limitations when needed.
