Dental Insurance Corner … Utilize 2014 Dental Coverage Benefits
Another year is coming to an end, as the holiday season approaches quickly. And we are anxiously awaiting the New Year. Before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, perhaps we should utilize the rest of our 2014 dental coverage benefits. With 2015 fast approaching, we only have a few short weeks to get in our last dental appointment scheduled for this calendar year.
Some patients have already taken the steps to get in their last appointments for the year. If you haven’t, now is the time to get your dental appointment on the books. It is important to take care of your oral hygiene needs. Your oral hygiene can affect so many other areas of your body and this is why it is so important to take care of any necessary dental work and keep up with regular dental check-ups. Always strive to maintain excellent oral hygiene and protect your body!
Here are the top five reasons to utilize your dental coverage benefits before 2015:
1. Yearly Maximum
The yearly maximum is the most money that your dental plan will pay for your dental work within one full year. This amount varies by insurance company, but the average is around $1,000 per year, per person. The yearly maximum usually renews every year (on January 1 if your plan is on a calendar year). If you have unused benefits, they will not rollover. However, we have found that some of the dental insurance companies we participate with such as, MetLife Dental Insurance, Guardian Dental and Assurant Dental have begun to have what is known as a “Maximum Rollover”. This means that as long as you meet certain criteria like, coming in regularly for your dental check-ups, set by your insurance they will rollover a portion of your remaining maximum to the next plan year. Typically they will rollover a portion each year until you reach $1000.00 extra each year. Now, these benefits are all dependent on each plan’s coverage, but we check each patient’s benefits as they come in for the New Year.
We are very thorough on checking benefits each calendar year because sometimes your dental coverage benefits will change a bit, and for some patients their employer may choose a new insurance company to go with for 2015. We try our very best to get the most detailed information from your insurance company in order to give you the accurate estimates for any needed dental treatments. It is important to us that we obtain the knowledge about each patient’s dental insurance plans in order to insure that we are giving you correct information. This does not mean that every estimate will be spot on because the insurance does have the final say in how your claims are processed, but we do have a pretty good track record for accurate estimates.
2. Deductible
The deductible is the amount of money that your insurance requires you to pay your dentist before your insurance company will pay for certain services. This fee varies from one dental insurance plan to another and could be higher if you choose an out-of-network dentist. However, the average deductible for dental insurance plans is usually around $50 per year. Your deductible also starts again when your plan rolls over.
3. Fee Increases
Like we stated earlier, policies can change year to year. Another reason to use your dental coverage benefits before the end of the year is you may incur a fee increase. A fee increase can also make your co-pay higher.
4. Dental Problems Can Worsen
If you chose to delay dental treatments, you are risking more extensive and expensive treatment. What starts out as a simple cavity can sometimes turn into a root canal.
5. Premiums
A lot of times you are paying insurance premiums to carry your dental insurance. You are paying for the benefits so you may as well utilize what you are paying for.
These five reasons plus many more are why we encourage our patients to utilize their dental coverage benefits each year.
If you are hoping to get in before the end of the year, now is the time to give us a call. The holiday season happens to also be a very busy time for us. If you are hoping to schedule a dental appointment before the end of the year, please give us a call as soon as possible to reserve your dental appointment time.
Please call us with any questions and we will be happy to help you. Or check with your Human Resources department to provide you with information on your dental insurance plans.
Call us today, so we can assist you with your available dental coverage or visit http://www.theperfectsmilekc.com/Dental-insurance/ for more information about the insurance company partners.
Have a wonderful and healthy Holiday Season!
