For people with busy schedules, it can be hard to find time in the day to visit their dentist in Center for a routine checkup and cleaning. Every month they invest in a dental insurance plan and don’t use it, they’re throwing away money and putting their oral health on the backburner, opening the door for serious issues to develop. Many people aren’t aware that most insurance plans expire at the beginning of the new year. Any unused benefits remaining won’t rollover, they’ll be completely lost instead. If you haven’t scheduled your routine visit with your dentist yet, here are three reasons to pick up the phone right now instead of putting it off until it’s too late.
Save Money on Preventive Care
Many people don’t know how much financial stress and hassle getting quality preventive care can save them. Tackling problems while they’re still developing is the best way to avoid oral pain and causing additional damage to your mouth. According to a PBS interview of Dr. James Stephens, the President of the California Dental Association, for every dollar that’s spent on preventive dental services, an estimated 50 dollars is saved on more expensive and invasive treatments.
Most dental insurance plans operate under a model of 100-80-50. That means that they’ll cover 100 percent of the cost of preventive care, including two free semi-annual checkups and cleanings, 80 percent of “basic” services such as fillings and periodontal disease care, and 50 percent of any major treatments like root canals and restorations. The sooner you get a problem treated, the less you’ll need to pay out-of-pocket.
Losing Your Unused Benefits
Each year, your insurance company requires you to pay a certain amount of money out-of-pocket before they’ll contribute to your dental treatment. Typically, the average deductible is around 50 to 100 dollars per person, annually. Once you’ve paid that amount, you most likely won’t need to pay anything additional for preventive treatments that are fully covered by your plan. However, at the beginning of the new year, your deductible will reset, and you’ll need to pay it again. It’s best to try to reach your maximum and get any necessary dental treatments you need before you’ll need to pay out-of-pocket again.
According to a study by the American Dental Association, the average American with dental insurance gets about 323 dollars worth of treatments each year. The typical plan has a yearly maximum of 1,250 dollars, which means that the 164 million Americans that have private dental insurance are losing 927 dollars every year because of unused benefits.
Fluctuating Insurance Fees
Just like when you renew your lease at an apartment and your rent raises, every time your dental insurance benefits renew, your fees and copayments can change. Instead of taking a gamble and seeing if next year’s out-of-pocket costs will be higher or lower, it’s best to use your benefits before they potentially raise. You’ll be glad you did, since it’ll most likely save you money in the long-run.
With a helpful and kind team of dental professionals by your side, you’ll be able to navigate through treatment costs and insurance benefits with ease. If it seems too difficult to deal with or you get overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to call your dentist in Center. They’ll walk you through your coverage and even submit claims for you so there’s less on your shoulders. It’s important not to forget that as soon as January 1st rolls around, your benefits will renew, and any unused ones will be lost forever, so schedule your appointment today!
About the Author
Dr. Thomas Youngblood has decades of experience under his belt and is passionate about changing his patients’ lives through high-quality and thorough preventive dental care. He wants to make the task of navigating insurance benefits easier so his patients don’t feel intimidated to schedule the dental treatments they need. As an in-network provider with most dental insurance plans, his team works to maximize each patients’ benefits and answer any questions they may have so their experience is smooth and worry-free. For questions about coverage or to schedule a routine checkup and cleaning before the beginning of the new year, visit Family Dental Center of East Texas’ website or call 936-427-9070.