Why It’s Important to Maximize Your Dental Benefits Before They Expire

Are you using your dental insurance regularly? Are you taking advantage of the many benefits provided to you through your policy? Do you understand that the money you’re allotted by your insurer cannot be rolled over into the following year? If you answered “no” to these questions, you’re not alone. Each year, insurance companies receive billions of dollars in unused benefits. In fact, less than 3% of patients meet or exceed their annual maximum. To avoid becoming a statistic and losing your hard-earned money at the end of 2020, a dentist explains what you need to do to maximize your plan.

Use It or Lose It

The process of using dental insurance requires paying a monthly premium for access to a wide range of benefits. Each year, on January 1, your insurance company will set the amount you’ve accumulated toward your deductible and annual maximum at $0. For one calendar year, you are provided an allotted amount by your insurer (yearly max) to use toward necessary oral healthcare services. If there are any funds unused come midnight on December 31, these are returned to the insurance company.

What does this mean? It means you’ve paid each month for a policy you did not take full advantage of. Dental benefits do not roll over, so if you want to avoid giving more money to your insurance company, you’ll need to make the most of these last few months of 2020.

Key Takeaways to Maximizing Your Benefits

If you think there is no way you can use your remaining benefits in such a short time, trust that your dentist in Geneva is here to explain how you can do it:

Get That Second Checkup and Cleaning

Under normal circumstances, insurance companies have a standard policy that states you cannot receive a second dental checkup and cleaning within six months and one day of your previous visit. However, because of COVID-19, many are waiving this and allowing patients to see their dentist for a second time even if their first visit was a month ago. If you want to avoid future potential problems and get your teeth checked and cleaned right now without the additional cost, speak to a dental team member about scheduling an appointment.

Schedule Your Complex Treatment

If your dentist recommends you have root canal therapy or tooth extraction, get it scheduled before 2020 is over. Why? Because you can use your yearly maximum to help cover the cost. If your treatment requires more time and multiple visits, you may be able to spread it out over multiple calendar years, allowing you to use this year’s allotment as well as the one granted next year. You can discuss your options with your dental team when preparing to start treatment.

Visit an In-Network Dentist

If you want to save the most money while receiving high-quality dentistry, make sure you are seeing someone who is in-network with your dental insurance company. Nowadays, many dentists accept most PPO plans, but if you want to be sure, always inform the person scheduling your appointment of your dental provider. This will not only allow them to help you identify what is covered under your plan and how you can save the most money.

Don’t let 2020 slip by without seeing your dentist. If you need help to maximize your benefits, don’t hesitate to ask a member of the dental team. Their expert knowledge will ensure you get the most out of your plan without losing valuable money in the process.

About the Author
Earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, Dr. Cooper Owens was commissioned as a Captain in the United States Air Force and serves as a dentist for six years. After being honorably discharged in 2008, he opened his private practice in Geneva and has been improving the smiles of patients ever since. He and his qualified staff want all individuals to receive high-quality dental care that is affordable. By helping people maximize their dental insurance benefits, he can ensure his patients are getting the treatment they need without having to empty their wallets. If you would like to know more about how you can get the most out of your dental benefits, contact us at (440) 466-4884.