Dental Insurance Plans … Use it OR Lose it for 2015

Now that the leaves are changing colors, it is also time to think about your dental needs for 2016. Many employers have enrollments now for next year, so you can decide what benefits you may need and want to take advantage of for you and your family. If you have a lot of dental work to be done, now could be the time to elect to change your dental benefits with Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental, or if you do not have a dental insurance plan, you may be able to enroll for the first time with your company. Many times, a small increase in your monthly premiums to your employer can give you a lot more benefits from your dental insurance plan through Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental to use, or increase your coverage for certain services to fit your needs for the upcoming year.

This is also the time to sign up for your flexible spending account or health care savings account, or even increase your total if possible. Dental insurance companies, such as Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental, will even coordinate with those plans. We have found that cosmetic dentistry, including, but not limited to Invisalign invisible braces and porcelain veneers or crowns, are also covered many times by your health savings or flexible spending plans. If this is something you have thought about in the past and would like more information, we would be glad to answer any questions we can.

If you have remaining money in your flexible spending account, you will need to use those monies within the current year. This means that the treatment has to be performed in 2015, not just paid for in the same year but it also has to be used.

Our patients are now planning their dental treatment with their remaining dental insurance benefits for 2015. Whether your insurance is with Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, Cigna Dental, or one of the many other PPO plans our offices accept, you will want to make sure you get scheduled to see us this year to maximize your potential benefits. Your dental insurance plan may have a maximum benefit of $1000, $1500 or even more, for the calendar year plans; however, you will lose that benefit amount entirely, if you don’t use it before the end of the year. All dental insurance plans, including those provided through Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental, can be a little different, so if you are unsure of any of your plan information, please give us a call. If we don’t already have the details, we can certainly try to find them out for you.

Some of our patients have already used some of their benefits, and others haven’t been in at all this year. If you have dental concerns or questions, or just need to have your teeth cleaned, now is the time to contact us to arrange your dental appointment. As fall arrives, more and more patients are scheduling, so the appointment times become more limited. Also, we have found that certain dental insurance plans provided by Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental, may only pay on the completion date of certain services. For instance, if you begin a crown in 2015, you must have that crown seated, or cemented in 2015 as well; otherwise, the benefits will be paid from the 2016 plan, provided your company still has coverage with that plan.

Some dental insurance plans, such as Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental even have roll over benefits available to use — if you earn them — so you could have even more than your set maximum benefit. Unfortunately, sometimes waiting to get all of your dental treatment until the new, year rolls around so your dental insurance company can help cover the costs can result in additional dental treatment needs. For example, the small filling that you were waiting to have treated can increase in size and become a crown, which in turn can increase your discomfort, and the cost can increase as well.

There are so many dental insurance plans out there, including Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental, that can be available to you through your employer or as an individual dental insurance policy. The full coverage dental plans have declined in recent years, but a lot of times, your copayment amounts can be less than you think. Please let us help you find out what your coverage includes and we always try to let you know what your copayments are in advance so that planning your dental treatment is as smooth as possible.  

Our offices have worked with Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental for many years and have coordinated their benefits with our patient’s needs. We have different payment options that are available to you, including a 12-month interest free plan, if you are interested. Please let us know if we can help you achieve your dental treatment needs for the remainder of 2015 and into 2016. If your only concern is having your teeth cleaned and you have not been in twice this year, we would certainly want to get an appointment scheduled as well. Most of the major dental insurance plans, including Delta Dental, Metlife Dental, and Cigna Dental, pay either twice a year or once every six months, so please call to find an appointment time that works well for you.

Once again, if you are unsure about any of your dental insurance benefits, please allow us to help any way we can. Dental insurance is continuously changing and we want to see all our patients get the most out of their plans!