As the year nears its end, you may be wondering if it’s a good idea to use your dental benefits before the new year. While some dental insurance companies may run on a fiscal year, most of them run on the calendar year. What are the benefits of using your dental insurance before the end of the year? You’d be surprised – there are actually several benefits including the potential to save you a decent amount of money. Schedule your appointment before it’s too late!
Deductible
When you’ve visited your dentist in the past, you’ve probably had to pay them something up front. This is part of your deductible – the amount of money you must meet before your insurance company will begin to pay for the services. Once you’ve met your deductible, though, your insurance company will usually pay for a certain percentage of your services until you’ve met your yearly out-of-pocket maximum. Getting in to see your dentist before the end of the year will ensure that your appointment is covered under the same deductible that you have already contributed to over the course of the year. Otherwise, your deductible resets after the new year.
Yearly Maximum
In addition to your deductible, your year maximum is the maximum amount of money you can pay for dental services out-of-pocket. Everything you’ve paid for this year is considered in your yearly maximum, so if you see your dentist before the end of the year – you may not have to pay for anything if you’ve already met your maximum. Unfortunately, though, similar to your deductible, the yearly maximum resets after the new year.
Worsening Problems
While saving money is a great benefit to see your dentist before the end of the year, you’ll want to consider the severity of your dental issues as well. If you have current dental issues, you’ll want to get them fixed as soon as you can so they won’t worsen.
