Every day people put off scheduling a cleaning or going for a dental procedure because they believe that they just can’t afford it.
Certainly, dental care can seem expensive. After all, a small filling or a few x-rays can cost upwards of $1,000.
But, when you know how to make your dental insurance plan work FOR YOU, you can often get all of your dental work done on your dental insurance company’s dime.
So, if such great dental benefits exist, why don’t more people take advantage of them?
Easy.
The truth is that most people don’t have a thorough understanding of what their dental insurance benefits include.
And most dental practices aren’t great at helping educate patients so they can maximize their benefits.
At Smile Max 365, I want my patients to maximize their dental insurance benefits before the year ends so that they can take care of AS MUCH dental work as possible without worrying about the bills.
Understanding this now is more important than ever, as most dental insurance benefits will be expiring at the end of the year.
To begin, I thought it would be helpful to give a quick overview of how dental insurance plans work and also give you a firsthand look at how you’re at risk of throwing away thousands of dollars of dental care every year when you don’t use your benefits by December 31.
Dental Insurance 101
There are a ton of different dental insurance plans available for purchase, so we can’t say with certainty that everything we cover regarding dental insurance plans will relate 100% to you.
However, we can give you a good idea of how a big portion of insurance plans DO work so you have a good understanding of what you can expect your insurance plan to cover.
Here are the basics…
The majority of people with dental insurance commonly have what’s described as “100-80-50” coverage.
This means that a dental insurance provider will pay 100% of the cost of routine preventive and diagnostic care.
Routine care includes things such as…
- Checkups
- Cleanings
- X-rays
The 80% part is allocated toward minor procedures like…
- Fillings
- Root canals
- Tooth
extractions
The insurance company will pay 80% of your bill, so you’re only responsible for 20%.
The 50% covers more extravagant procedures including…
- Crowns
- Bridges
- Dental implants
The insurance company will pay 50% of your procedure bill. You are responsible for the remaining 50%.
As I mentioned earlier, not every dental insurance plan is structured this way, but
Why You’re Losing Money While Not Taking Advantage of Your Benefits
Monthly Premiums
If you have a dental insurance plan, you’re paying monthly premiums whether you use it or not.
You’ve earned free cleanings twice a year and the ability to have that tooth that’s causing you trouble removed for a fraction of what it
Not using your dental insurance plan benefits during the year is simply a huge waste of money.
Yearly Maximums
Dental insurance plans give patients a maximum of what can be spent on your dental care each year. Most insurance plans allot around $1,000 per person on a plan per year.
If you don’t use your yearly maximum, it disappears at the end of the year.
So, once again, you lose money on something you’ve already helped pay for.
Tip: Benefits expire at the end of the year. Because of this, if you get dental work done in December (and max out your 2017 plan), you can then get the second half of the work done in January 2018 (since benefits reset/renew to full $ amount in January).
When you do this, you can effectively maximize the amount of work you can get done… and DOUBLE your benefits.
Deductibles
A deductible is the amount of money that you are responsible for paying out of pocket before your benefits kick in.
For example, some insurance plans require a patient to pay $500 on dental expenses before coverage begins to kick in.
This isn’t hard to do–especially considering a teeth cleaning (with the works) can easily cost $800 or more depending on your dental office.
Here’s the bad news…when your insurance plan rolls over in the new year, your deductible starts over.
So, if you decided to get one family member’s teeth cleaned in December and another family member’s teeth cleaned in January–and you have yet to reach your yearly deductible–you’ll be paying twice as much for those services.
Teeth and Mouth Problems Get Worse Over Time
It is so important to catch a dental problem, like a cavity, in its early stages.
For instance, when you don’t take advantage of your insurance benefits and get that free teeth cleaning and exam, you might miss out on being diagnosed with a small cavity.
As time goes on, that small cavity will become bigger. And it can even spread to other teeth.
See how one free dental exam can save you big in the long run?
How Smile Max 365 Helps Patients Maximize Dental Benefits
Clearly, there are many reasons why it’s important to maximize your dental insurance benefits before the year is over.
Yet after reading this post, you still might have questions about how to make sure you’re taking advantage of everything your dental plan has to offer.
Not to worry.
At Smile Max 365, I offer FREE access to our dental insurance experts who are standing by to answer insurance questions, pull benefits, and maximize dental care benefits for all of our patients.
All you have to do is call Smile Max 365 at (602) 714-7232 for a complimentary (and confidential) dental insurance review over the phone.
On this call, our experts will determine EXACTLY what your benefits are, how much of them you can use, and how to maximize them!
I know it’s a busy time of year, but that’s no excuse
Don’t put off maximizing your dental care insurance benefits and taking care of your teeth any longer.
Why not get your dental work done on your insurance company’s dime?
Call us at (602)714-7232 to learn more about your benefits and schedule your next appointment!
Book Your Appointment Today!
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