When you select dental insurance, it helps you with all the costs that come with maintaining the good health of your teeth. In order to make the most out of it, you need to understand the limitations and provisions of your dental plan. Once you figure this out, you will not overpay or delay your dental treatment. To make it more convenient for you, we have come up with some helpful tips that will help you get the most benefits out of your dental insurance.
Use these tips to select dental insurance
Stay in the network
Many Preferred Provider Organizations offer provisions for the reduction of fees when the patient gets services from a network provider. This helps in the reduction of fees even prior to the making of insurance plans. Your insurance may not cover dental implants, but your oral surgeon can agree to some fee reduction. Hence staying in the network will enable you to save money.
Mark your calendar year
When you select dental insurance, you can use your dental benefits within one year. As a result, you will only have to pay the annual deductible once. In case you do not use your dental insurance every year, you will end up losing it. Hence, select dental insurance to prevent your problems from piling up over the years.
Choose fillings over crowns
It is important to contact your dentist at an early stage as this helps you get treatment at a lower cost. It is because, in the case of minor dental treatments like fillings, insurance companies cover almost eighty to a hundred percent of the cost. However, for major treatments, the companies cover only fifty percent of the cost.
For instance, if a filling costs 120 dollars and your dental insurance covers eighty per cent of the cost, you will only have to pay an amount of 20 dollars. On the other hand, if a crown costs 240 dollars and your dental insurance covers fifty per cent of the cost, you will have to pay 120 dollars.
Motivation of dental insurance companies
Dental insurance companies structure themselves in a way that helps them save their money in the future. That is why many dental select address insurance companies cover 100 percent of the cost of preventative care. This will include cleanings, x-rays, exams, and in the case of children- fluoride.
Dental sealants are another one of the preventative procedures that these insurance companies cover for 100 percent of the cost. Getting sealants is a fast and painless procedure that can be done along with cleaning. If you think your child needs a sealant, you can enquire about it from their dentist on their next appointment.
Knowing the limits
Most insurance companies have their annual maximum. This refers to the maximum amount in total that an insurance policy will pay each year. If you have some other dental work to be done in the calendar year, you can reach out to your insurance company and ask them how much you have to pay before getting an extensive treatment.
Along with annual maximums, many insurance companies limit the number of dental offices that you visit. X-rays and dental cleanings are covered annually. Visiting a specialist will also differ from visiting your usual dentist. You need to manage and know how your dental insurance plan operates on these kinds of limitations.
Absence of waiting periods
Dental insurance plans that are good do not come with any waiting periods before you can avail of your treatment. On the contrary, some dental insurance companies have plans with waiting periods of 6, 12, and 24 months.
Avoid paying for two different insurance plans
At times, patients with two dental insurance plans make the mistake of thinking that if one of these plans does not cover the dental procedure costs, the other will do so. However, this may not always be the case. This is because this varies according to some dental codes.
With two different insurance companies, one is selected as the primary while the latter is selected as the secondary. The second insurance company will not cover your deductibles. In case you reach a point of annual maximum of the first insurance company, then the second company will cover your dental costs.
Visit your dentist religiously
If you want your dental treatments to be less expensive, you need to visit your dentist twice each year. When you get early detection of your problem, it becomes less expensive. Preventing cavity formation, reversing gum disease, following the instructions of the dentist, and practising good oral hygiene will keep your teeth healthy.
Health Savings Account
Many employers do not offer this option to their employees. In a healthy savings account, you will be able to put in your dollars before getting taxed. For instance, if you need to pay 600 dollars for your dental treatment, you can take the money from your HSA account. However, if you do not have an account, you have to spend it from the money you earn after getting taxes.
The downside of having a health savings account is that you will have the account for all the money that you spend. In addition, if you do not use the money soon enough, you will lose it after a certain point in time.
Asking for Predetermination benefits
Dental treatments are not always an emergency. There is some time in-between when the dentist recommends a dental procedure and when it is finally performed. During this time, you can ask your dental insurance company for a predetermination of all the benefits that you will receive. This will enable you to get an idea of how much your dental insurance company will cover before you get the actual treatment.
Conclusion
If you need to select a dental office, you can contact us. Once you get an appointment, you will be able to understand how much you need to pay for your dental treatment and how much costs your insurance company will cover.