Dental insurance is a monthly investment designed to protect your oral health and your wallet throughout the years. However, few patients truly know how to utilize their coverage to the fullest to avoid leaving unused dollars and wasted coverage on the table each year. If this sounds all too familiar, you’ll be happy to know you still have a few weeks left to maximize your dental insurance benefits! Here are four tips to help.
#1. Utilize Your Preventive Care
When it comes to the condition of your teeth and gums, prevention is paramount. Fortunately, dental insurance providers recognize this and commit to covering up to 100% of preventive care, like professional checkups and cleanings. However, if you skip these visits, they don’t carry over into the next year. Therefore, to prevent decay, cavities, and gum disease (while simultaneously using your benefits), make sure to schedule an appointment with your dentist if you haven’t seen them within the past six months.
#2. Ask About Your Remaining Annual Maximum
An annual maximum is the most your provider will contribute to your dental care within a given year. Once it is met, you are responsible for covering additional services. On the other hand, if you don’t meet your annual maximum, the remaining balance will reset when your plan does. To prevent this from happening, ask your insurance provider if you can use the residual amount toward recommended restorative treatment.
#3. Use Your FSA Dollars for Out-of-Pocket Expenses
An FSA (Flexible Spending Account) is a health-related benefit that allows employees to set aside a portion of their paycheck for medical expenses. And while the FSA dollars can be used to cover out-of-pocket dental fees, many patients are unaware of how much is left in their account or forget about it entirely! Since there are typically restrictions that prevent it from carrying over year after year, there is no time like the present to contact the person responsible for handling your benefits if you have a FSA through your employer.
#4. Schedule Your Treatment Before the New Year
Although each dental plan is unique, many are similar in that they reset in January. Therefore, any biannual visits and treatment needed to meet your annual maximum should be scheduled before December 31st. That way, you can use your benefits to keep your smile in pristine condition with the lowest out-of-pocket cost!
About the Practice
Whether you need a routine cleaning, restorative dentistry, cosmetic treatment, or just about anything in between, quality is key for Dr. Amanda Pooler and Dr. Stefanie Walker. At each appointment, they use their clinical expertise, comprehensive array of services, and patient-centered approach to care to address your unique dental needs and smile goals. Plus, they work with several of the nation’s leading providers to ensure processing your benefits is seamless every time. So, if it’s time for your routine appointment or you need dental work, visit their website or give them a call at 720-440-9296.