The end of the year is coming – be sure that you aren’t letting valuable dental benefits go to waste. Most dental insurance carriers offer policyholders a certain amount to spend each year on dental claims. The average allowance is between $1,000 and $1,500. If you don’t use that entire amount, any monies left in the allowance are lost on Jan. 1.
If you have been putting off seeing the dentist all year, make an appointment now. Besides good dental health, here are a few other reasons:
- You don’t want to have to repay your deductible. Let’s say you put off seeing the dentist until after the holidays. It may be a bit more convenient, but remember, after January 1st you are going to have to repay that annual deductible. Avoid this extra cost by making your appointment during the current calendar year.
- You want to get the most out of your dental insurance. You paid for that coverage; be sure to use it. Most insurance companies cover preventative dental care like cleanings, x-rays and checkups 100%. Not only will those regular checkups cost you nothing; they can keep your mouth free of cavities.
- You may be able to use your leftover coverage for a special service you have been putting off. Maybe you are interested in getting braces for your child or teeth whitening for yourself. Depending on the procedure, your leftover dental benefits may cover most – or even all – of it. Talk to your dental provider to see what services your benefits cover. Another thing to consider is how billing is handled for certain procedures., For instance, braces are often billed in cycles, which means you may be able to tap into both this year’s benefits and next year’s benefits to help cover most of the bill.
Every year millions of dollars in dental coverage is lost simply because people did not understand how their coverage works and that they were losing the ability to use those funds for end of the year services without any out of pocket expense. Be sure to check with your dental professional and your insurance provider to see how to best use those dental benefits before they expire.
