LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR INSURANCE TO VISIT YOUR DENTIST
Your dental insket expense. With routine care, you keep your teeth and gums healthy to reduce your long-term dental costs. In fact, every $1 spent on prevention saves you $8 to $50 on restorative and emergency services. Unfortunately, less than 3% of Americans meet or exceed their annual insurance coverage. Often, this is because they do not know how their policy works, causing them to miss valuable opportunities to promote their oral health. To make the most of your benefits, there is important information you need to know about your coverage.
Every month you pay premiums for your policy. This gives youcomprehensive coverage to enjoy an array of savings opportunities. Most insurancecompanies give you 100% coverage for preventive care, such as cleanings,checkups, and x-rays.
Even with the best preventive measures in place, acomplication can still arise. To quickly treat it before it progresses, yourinsurance can cover as much as 80% of the cost of basic services, likefillings. Before you can harness these savings, you must pay your yearlydeductible. This amount varies depending on your policy.
Your insurance will continue to cover the cost ofrestorative treatments until you reach your yearly maximum. On average, annuallimits range from $1,000 to $1,500.
For maximum savings, it is best to visit a dentist in yourinsurance’s network. This means they have pre-negotiated rates with yourcarrier to reduce the amount you need to pay. While it is best to visit an in-network dentist, you stillhave the freedom to choose one that is not. You can still use your insurance,but you will need to pay the difference between the dentist’s fees and yourinsurance’s allowable coverage.
At the start of the new year, you need to re-enroll in yourpolicy. On December 31st, your benefits expire. They do not carryover to the next year for accumulation and you are not reimbursed for the premiumsor deductible you have already paid.
Your dentist works on your behalf with your insurance companyto file the necessary forms for reimbursement. They handle the pre-negotiationsand insurance claims, so you have one less thing to worry about. They help youuse your insurance to lower the amount you need to pay out-of-pocket. If thereis a remaining balance, you can use third-party financing, so nothing stands inyour way of a healthy smile.
If you have dental insurance, do not waste it. Visit yourdentist regularly for affordable rates to achieve optimal oral health.
About Dr. Brian C.Oyler
Dr. BrianC. Oyler completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1994. Since then,he has delivered high-quality dental care to the community. He strives to helpall patients maintain their oral health using cutting-edge dentistry. He workswith many insurance companies to keep his services affordable. If you have anyquestions about your policy, contactour office today to speak with a member of our team.
We look forward to meeting you. Call (812) 537-4272 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.