Finding and managing your dental insurance is tricky. You will need to do your homework on what is covered, what cover you might already have, and what you will need in the future. You will also need to consider your budget. Here are four facts to help you with these choices.
You Could Have Multiple Levels of Dental Insurance
You could have multiple levels of dental insurance that might cover different procedures. You need to check if you have any of the following dental insurances if any. You also need to check what exactly is covered by any existing plans you have.
The first level of cover you might already have depending on where you live is from your local government. Public health insurance might cover some dental expenses. You will need to check, but most likely this will just cover medical emergencies and not normal dental work like crowns or regular checkups.
As an employee, you might also have a dental cover. Your employer might provide medical and dental insurance as part of your terms of employment. This could include a very basic dental cover or extensive dental cover. You will need to check the terms and conditions of the insurance plan.
Your health insurance could also include some dental cover. Again, you will have to do your homework and check what, if anything, is covered when it comes to dental costs.
Check all the above insurance plans you have and see if there are any possible issues you are not covered for. Regular checkups, crowns, root canals, and similar procedures could not be covered. Make sure that you won’t have any surprise bills in the future. A specific personal dental plan could make sense to provide cover for these procedures.
Even With Dental Insurance, There are Costs
Even when you have dental insurance there are still costs involved for dental procedures. Dental insurance will likely have a deductible. As an example: if your deductible is $200 then you will pay for the first $200 worth of dental work before your dental plan will even start paying.
Check your plan for the deductible amount and budget for this. Make sure to put some money away each year to cover the deductible. If the deductible is too high for you to cover then explore alternative plans.
Co-payments will likely be needed. A co-payment means that the insurance will only cover a portion of the costs and you will need to pay the difference. Depending on the plan the co-payment could be large or none for a specific procedure. Check your plan for details.
Doing your homework and checking your cover for deductibles and co-payment values will be necessary. You can get more information about what is covered and what might be for your pocket and make sure you budget for these or look for alternative cover. It is often a trade-off between having a more expensive plan and getting lower out-of-pocket expenses for procedures.
Dentists Don’t Work With All Insurances
Dentists often work with a few dental and medical insurance companies that they prefer. Make sure that your dentist works with the dental insurance that you are considering. It is easier if your local dentist can help you with the insurance claim. Check with your local dentist which insurance companies they prefer.
You might still be able to claim even if your dentist does not work with your insurance. You will have to pay first and then submit the claim yourself. This is not ideal as you will need the means to pay as well as wait to get the funds back.
Full Dental Insurance Means Long Term Dental Health
Research has shown that a lot of dental work could have been prevented. For instance, a full root canal might have been prevented with regular cleaning and checkups.
Individuals with full dental insurance that also includes cover for checkups and cleaning will be more likely to go to their dentist. This makes sense because paying for these services could result in people avoiding them or going less often. These regular visits will result in long-term better oral health. Some larger issues can be prevented due to this long-term oral health gain.
Make sure to study your current dental cover and plan the way forward. Think about the possible out-of-pocket expenses and what your budget allows. Also, consider the long-term oral health and advantages of having full dental insurance. Your teeth and bank account might just thank you in the future.
