With open enrollment just months away, it’s time to start thinking about your dental insurance coverage again. Dental insurance is an important way to safeguard your mouth in both sickness and in health. Whether you’re looking for a new policy or don’t quite know if you should stick to your old one, here are a few facts to help you select the right dental coverage for you and your family.
Fact #1. Dental Coverage is Designed to be Preventive
Unlike medical insurance, dental coverage is designed to provide preventive care. This means that instead of just dealing with an illness or injury after the fact, your dental insurance encourages you to prevent illness or injury by offering more coverage for preventive services like cleanings, exams, and X-rays. This in turn prompts you to visit your dentist regularly and stay on top of your oral health on your own.
While dental insurance does still provide for emergency services like fillings, those procedures are usually covered at a lower percentage (around 80 percent) and more advanced restorative procedures like root canals are typically covered at around 50 percent. This is known as coinsurance.
Fact #2. Your Benefits Do Not Roll Over
Unfortunately, when it comes to dental insurance if you don’t use it, you lose it. Say for example you are entitled to two dental exams with X-rays per calendar year. If you skip one or both of those exams this year, you will not be able to make them up once the new year arrives. You will still be able to use the two exams allotted for the new year, but you will essentially have thrown your money away for the previous year by not taking advantage of your benefits.
Fact #3. Some Dental Plans Have a Waiting Period
In addition to any waiting period your insurance may have with your employer (for example, not being eligible for benefits until you have been employed for 90 days) dental insurance sometimes has a waiting period for certain services like restorative or cosmetic procedures, even after the policy goes live. These times may vary depending on your policy; however, it’s usually around three months. Preventive care like exams and cleanings are typically covered immediately.
Fact #4. Do Your Homework Before Selecting a Plan
When it comes to any type of insurance at all, you should always familiarize yourself with your coverage before signing on the dotted line. Unfortunately, once you’ve committed to a policy for the year, it can often be difficult to cancel coverage or change plans. When deciding, be on the lookout for:
- What percentage of your services will be covered.
- How much your copay will be (if any).
- Which dentists accept your provider and plan. This is especially important if you are planning to keep your regular dentist. Some dentists may not be in-network with your new insurance provider and will then have to submit a claim out of network, which can result in a bit of extra paperwork.
Now that you know these important facts, you can make a better-informed decision when selecting your dental insurance plan in the coming months. If you have any questions or concerns about your policy or coverage, don’t hesitate to contact your dentist’s office or your company’s benefits administrator for more information.
About Our Practice
The team at Meadowvale Family Dentistry is proud provide a wide range of dental services to patients of all ages. Dr. Patel and Dr. Ka Biu Ip deliver quality, compassionate, comprehensive care that is community based and available when you need it.
If you have any questions about your insurance plan or need help selecting new coverage, please contact our team at 905-821-0011, or visit our website today.