Considering that October is National Dental Hygiene Month, it’s the perfect time to spread awareness about the importance of keeping a healthy smile. Proper oral care includes visiting your hygienist regularly and treating any issues before they become more costly problems. However, as the Society for Human Resource Management tells us, many people with dental insurance don’t realize that preventative treatment is often fully covered by their plan. For that reason, we thought it might be a good time to delve into the complex world of dental benefits and explore why it might be to your advantage to schedule any outstanding cleanings and treatments before the end of the year.
Preventative Care Benefits
A typical dental insurance plan often includes two annual cleanings and exams at little or no cost for each person on the plan. This means if you or someone on your plan hasn’t yet had a second cleaning, it’s a good time to utilize your remaining benefits and schedule before the end of the year.
Annual Maximums
Terms like “annual maximums” and “deductibles” can often cause confusion. As Delta Dental of Illinois explains, an annual maximum is the maximum amount your plan will pay toward your dental work in a given plan year. This amount can vary depending on the type of plan you have. At the beginning of a new year, your annual maximum resets; any benefit money remaining from the previous year does not roll over. This means if you haven’t yet hit the annual maximum for your plan, there is still benefit money available that you can put toward any needed dental work.
Deductibles
A deductible, on the other hand, is the amount you must pay toward dental work before your insurance benefits will kick in. This amount also tends to vary by plan. Once you’ve paid your deductible for the year, you don’t have to pay it again until next year. This would be another great reason to schedule an appointment in 2020.
Out-of-Pocket Costs
Whether or not you’ve reached your annual maximum or paid your deductible, there may still be out-of-pocket costs associated with treatment. The amount you owe will depend on the type of insurance plan you have, the type of treatment you receive, and how close you are to reaching your annual maximum or deductible.
To help limit any additional costs, we’d like to offer 20% OFF the patient portion amount of treatment. Simply download the coupon below and bring it to your appointment.
If you’ve been putting off treatment, now’s the time to take advantage of your dental benefits and make an appointment.
No Insurance? No problem!
These days, more patients are finding themselves without dental insurance benefits as a result of COVID-19. If you don’t have insurance, there are still affordable options available to you, such as the Smiles360 Dental Discount Club! Ask about Smiles360 at your next appointment, or visit www.smiles360dental.com to learn more.
