Most people don’t know that their dental benefits aren’t permanent. At the end of the year, the “use it or lose it” rule goes into effect. Your dental benefits usually roll over at the end of the year, and unused coverage will be forfeited. To get the most out of your dental coverage, it’s important to know how to utilize your dental benefits before they run out.
By simply being strategic with your dentist’s appointment, you can avoid losing the money that you’ve already paid for your dental plan. Let’s begin with how to get the most out of your dental benefits and how to get the most from your coverage before it’s lost.
Check Your Dental Coverage and Benefits Timeline
Familiarizing yourself with your dental insurance policy is the key to managing your benefits. Your dental insurance plan will cover various services every year, ranging from cleanings and exams to more extensive procedures. Look through your plan to find out what’s included and be sure to take advantage of it by the end of the year.
Most dental plans do cover preventive care like exams, cleanings, and checkups. These are usually 100% covered, so you can get them without paying much at all, if anything. But when the year is up, any unused benefits are not carried forward into the next year. This is where it is helpful to know your dental insurance time frame.
Book Your Appointment Early
The majority of people wait until too late to take advantage of their benefits. When they do so, dental clinics are typically full, and it is not easy to get an appointment. To avoid this, book your dental appointments ahead of time. Whether it is a checkup, cleaning, or treatment, booking enables you to get the care you need before your dental benefits expire.
Waiting until the last minute could find you scrambling to secure an empty slot. End-of-year is a busy time for dental clinics, and booking early gives you the best chance of securing a preferred time.
Maximize Your Coverage
If you require something other than an exam or cleaning, i.e., a filling or crown, now is the time to schedule those procedures. Most dental insurance plans cover a range of services, but there is typically a cap on how much they will pay in one year. If you do a procedure that’s more than your plan will cover, try to get part of it accomplished before the end of the year and the remaining part after the new year.
By doing this, you will be in a position to maximize your dental benefits over two benefit periods. For example, if you need to have a crown put in, you can have the initial half done in December and the remaining half in January, maximizing the benefits of both years.
Don’t Let Benefits Go Unused
Unused benefits are money down the drain. If you don’t schedule an appointment when your dental benefits run out, you lose that coverage for the year. You’ve already paid for your dental insurance for the year, so don’t waste it.
At American Dental Center Miami Gardens, we’d like to help you learn more about your dental insurance benefits and receive the care you deserve. Act now and make the most of your dental benefits.
