At the start of each year, almost all dental insurances renew their dental benefits. Hopefully, you were able to maximize your dental benefits the previous year, but if not, using the full range of your dental health insurance benefits is a fantastic New Year’s Resolution that will help you improve your dental health and save you money over time.
Continue reading to learn more about how you can get the most out of your dental insurance benefits in 2021.
Understanding Your Dental Insurance Plan
If it’s been a minute since you reviewed what your dental insurance covers, the beginning of the year is a great time to look things over. If your benefits have been changed or amendments have been made to your insurance, you will most likely receive an email or letter from your insurance company informing you of these changes. However, even if you don’t receive anything from your insurance provider, it is still just as important to look over your dental insurance plan to see what is covered and not covered.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to a new year and new benefits is that there is now a minimum deductible that must be met before benefits kick in. This varies between plans and insurance providers. In some cases, a certain number of visits must be met or only some kinds of visits will fall under your benefits. If you’re ever unsure, contact your insurance provider.
Since a deductible must be met before benefits can happen, scheduling dentist appointments with your Idaho Falls dentist is recommended since you can access your benefits that much sooner. Waiting to use your dental benefits later in the year may end up with you not being able to use your benefits before the year is over. For many people, this is basically like lighting their benefits on fire. You’ve already paid the out of pocket expenses, make sure that you get something out of it by using the dental benefits you’re already paying for.
Talk With Your Idaho Falls Dentist Early
If you want to get the most out of your dental benefits, then it is critical that you schedule your appointments earlier in the year for the whole family. For best results just schedule a regular checkup with your Idaho Falls dentist. This way, your dentist will be able to recommend treatment plans and provide preventive care to keep your smile healthy and wallet happy. Keep in mind that even if you don’t have a deductible that has to be met, it’s still important to see your dentist as early in the year as possible because at your appointment you may need to undergo extensive treatment such as a root canal, partial or full dentures, wisdom teeth removal, etc., all of which takes more than just one appointment to deal with.
Be proactive about your dental health this year and get the most out of your dental insurance by making an appointment with your family dentist in Idaho Falls today.
Take Advantage of Your Flex Dollars
If you have a flexible spending account (FSA), it is also important to use that money before the year is up. Depending on the type of FSA you have, you may not be able to carry that money over into the next year. Talk with your employer and plan provider about carrying over terms and what is and what is not covered by your flex dollars. Typically, most FSA’s consider the following dental expenses to be eligible for FSA dollars:
- Teeth cleaning
- Fillings and sealants
- Crowns
- Bonding
- Dentures
- Tooth extraction
- Inlays and Onlays
- All diagnostic and preventative services
- Treatments for gingivitis, temporomandibular joint syndrome and disorder, gum recession, and oral surgery
So while your flex dollars won’t cover cosmetic dentistry (think, teeth whitening and veneers), your flex dollars can cover a lot of common dental issues throughout the year. Take advantage of this tax-exempt money as soon as possible so that you don’t have to pay more than necessary out of your pocket.
End Of The Dental Insurance And Flex Plan Year
The end of the year is coming up and you are not the only one that put off going to the dentist this year. The schedule is filling up so you need to call soon to make your appointment so we can find you an available one before the the end of the insurance plan and flex plan year comes to an end.
How Flex Plans Work
By setting aside a certain amount of your gross income to your flexible spending account, that money can be used for health and dental costs without being taxed. Your FSA money can only be used for approved expenditures and must be completely used before the end of the year. If your funds are not used you will forfeit them. It’s your money. Don’t lose it.
End Of The Year Insurance Plans
Dental insurance plans have a set level maximum of benefits that vary from one company to another. These benefits expire and do not rollover into the new year.
If you’ve been paying for dental insurance every month of the year, even if you don’t need any dental work done right now you should still be making regular appointments with your dentist for teeth cleaning services not to mention the fact we may be able to detect problems or signs of possible problems that you wouldn’t have been able to notice yet.
It’d be a shame if a small cavity that you don’t notice yet turns into something worse later and forces you to have a root canal you could’ve otherwise avoided.
What If You Meet Your Annual Maximum?
Many dental insurance plans have an annual maximum of around $2000, more or less. So what happens when you meet your annual maximum coverage? Depending on the type of dental service you need, you may end up paying for some of it out of pocket if you didn’t prepare for this expense. This is yet another reason why seeing your Idaho Falls family dentist early in the year for checkups and to discuss treatment plans is crucial to your oral health and your bottom line.
Call Eagle Rock Dental Care Today!
Call us today to start scheduling appointments for you and the whole family. We can also help to answer any questions you may have about your dental insurance and how to create a treatment plan that works for you and makes the most of your dental health insurance benefits and flex dollars. We also offer payment plans if necessary to make your dental care more affordable. As your Idaho Falls family dentist, we are here for you and your family!
