Reminder: Time Is Running Out to Use Your 2019 Dental Insurance!

The end of the year is quickly approaching. Before you can blink twice, you will be putting your new calendar on the wall and getting documents ready to pay your taxes. But before we leave 2019 behind us, you may still have quite a few things on your to-do list. One of those things should be to use your dental insurance. This blog post is a friendly reminder from your dentist about how you can maximize your policy. Your wallet and your smile will thank you!

It’s a Use It or Loses It Situation

If you have a PPO dental plan, you likely started out 2019 with an annual maximum — the highest dollar amount that your insurance provider would be willing to pay out for approved services. On December 31, any unused portion of that maximum disappears. Plans that have any type of rollover provision are very few and far between.

If you only use your dental insurance for emergencies, or you just go in for a checkup when the whim takes you, you could be losing out on hundreds of dollars worth of benefits every year! Of course, you should not let fear of losing your benefits motivate you to request dental work that you do not need. But you should be diligent about keeping up with any treatment that your dentist recommends.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Policy

Here are a few tips you can use before the end of the year to get more out of your dental insurance policy:

  • Schedule a checkup. Most PPO plans allow policyholders to attend two cleanings and checkups each year for little to nothing out of pocket. Your diligence about preventive care could save you thousands of dollars on more extensive treatment down the road.
  • Plan for restorative work. If your checkup reveals an oral health issue, you might still have time to get it treated using this year’s benefits. For minor restorative work, you may be responsible for paying 20 – 30 percent of the total cost. For major procedures, you may have to pay 50 percent out of pocket.
  • Strategize for major treatment. Major procedures may cost a significant amount of money—perhaps more than your annual maximum. Fortunately, it might be possible to break up such treatments across multiple appointments between this year and next so you can use two annual maximums rather than just one.
  • Ask for advice. The folks at your dentist’s office are used to dealing with the nitty-gritty details of dental insurance. They may be able to offer personalized tips to help you get greater value from your policy.

Are you using your dental insurance policy to the full? Time is running out to take advantage of your 2019 benefits!

We are pleased to accept payment from most types of dental insurance that are available in Idaho. Contact our dental office in Twin Falls, ID to learn more about our practice’s payment policies and how we can help you maximize your benefit