Use Your Dental Insurance Before The Year Ends

The holiday season is here, and one of the best gifts to give yourself is a healthy smile! If you have dental insurance, visit your dentist and find joy knowing your teeth are healthy and well. But hurry! Dental insurance is very tricky, and most insurances cut the benefits you invest in annually the moment the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day. During the happiest time of the year, let us show you why using your dental insurance before the year’s over will save you hundreds of dollars.

The Importance of Dental Insurance

Not too many think about this, but thousands of tooth-related injuries occur every day! Without dental insurance, you’re responsible for paying the dentist the entire service charge, including examination fees, all out-of-pocket. The feeling of skimping out on presents thanks to an insurance-less trip to the dentist can wear down on your holiday cheer. That’s why it’s important to have dental insurance! Dental insurance is your fallback in the case of a dental emergency. Whether you need just a checkup, or have a dental emergency, your dental insurance will cover it.

Why it’s Important to USE Your Dental Insurance

Each year millions of people forget about their dental insurance, or don’t find the opportunity to use it. That’s hundreds of dollars you’re not using! That doesn’t mean you don’t need dental insurance, it means you need to start getting what you pay for!

Let’s start with your deductible. Before your dental insurance covers any service, you’re required to pay off your annual deductible (cost varies from plan to plan). Once you have, dental insurances offer co-pay, allowing you to pay a fixed low amount while they cover the rest. There is an annual maximum that dental insurances cover. Most plans cover between $1000-$5000 for dental services (not including cosmetic surgeries). You’ll save hundreds, if not thousands, by leaning on your dental insurance. Dental insurance companies, not you, are the ones that benefit if you don’t max out your dental insurance. Be the one to smile at the end of the year with a set of healthy teeth!

Your deductible isn’t the only thing you have to plan to pay. Each month you deal with your dental premiums, which you must continue to pay if you want to keep your dental insurance. Paying your monthly premium doesn’t take too much, but that’s money down the drain if you’re not using your dental insurance! It won’t hurt for you to schedule an appointment with the dentist, even if it is just for a cleaning. Cleanings do help prevent cavities and aggressive gum diseases.

If You Have an FSA Account

Most employers make it easy to set aside some of your non-taxed income into a flexible spending account (FSA). It’s great because it’s a personal account for medical use only. However, when the year resets, so does your FSA. Like your annual deductible, you’ll lose all benefits and will have to put money right back into it. If you have an FSA account, see what the balance of it is, and use it during your next scStartheduled visit to the dentist.

Dental insurance costs a lot, don’t let the mindset of using it only for emergencies prevent you from taking advantage of it and save hundreds of dollars a year. Make sure you schedule an appointment with your dentist by the end of December to see how they can help you smile about your teeth in time for your New Year’s party.

Note - If you don’t already have dental insurance, make this holiday season the one you gift it to yourself and your family. Apply for insurance through CoveredCA to see what plans you qualify for.