Dental Insurance Tips with Your Dentist in Keller
Over 60% of the population currently has some form of dental insurance to help them save on their dental care, but most people don’t really know how to get the absolute most out of their coverage. At Smile: Refined, we believe that high-quality dentistry should be easily affordable for everyone, so to help, your dentist in Keller is going to share a few tips on how to maximize your insurance benefits.
1. Focus on Prevention
Dental insurance differs from traditional medical insurance in that it is mostly focused on helping people avoid dental problems rather than simply fix them as they pop up. This is why most plans will cover services like checkups and cleanings completely or mostly while only covering part of restorative services (such as fillings, crowns, bridges, etc.)
This means that an easy way to get the most out of your benefits is to simply go see your dentist for the recommended two visits each year. Your insurance will likely cover most if not all of these appointments, and these services will also help you avoid needing more expensive dental procedures in the future, so really, this approach is good for both your wallet and your smile.
2. Visit an In-Network Practice
When a practice is “in-network” with an insurance provider, it means that the practice has a contract with the provider where their fees have been pre-negotiated in order to keep the out-of-pocket costs for patients low. Practically, this means that if you visit a practice that is in-network with your plan, they’ll be able to offer bigger savings than an out-of-network practice. At Smiles: Refined, we participate in and accept a long list of dental insurance plans, and you can view a complete list right here.
3. Use It or Lose It
Many dental insurance plans have what is called an annual maximum, which is the highest dollar amount of care it will cover per person, per year. On average, this amount is about $1,250. However, most people only receive about $323 worth of dental care each year. The thing is, once the new year begins, dental insurance benefits usually reset and that leftover money does not roll over, and instead goes straight back to the insurance company. This means that the average person with dental insurance is losing about $927 worth of benefits each year.
The solution to this problem? Just make sure to use all of your benefits before the end of the year. If you’ve only had one checkup and cleaning this year, be sure to schedule another one. Have a few teeth that need to be repaired or replaced? You can get started right now and your insurance will cover part of the cost. In the end, by using all of your benefits every year, you’ll be maximizing your plan and making sure your smile is as healthy as possible at the same time.
As you can see, getting the most out of your insurance isn’t that complicated as long as you use it to mostly cover preventive services, go in-network, and don’t leave money on the table at the end of the year. At Smiles: Refined, we do everything we can to make using your dental insurance as simple as possible. We’ll file the claim, handle the paperwork, and make sure we get the most out of your coverage that we can. That way, when you come to see us, you’ll not only leave with a beautiful smile, but peace of mind as well.
To learn more dental insurance tips or how we can use your particular plan to help you save at your next appointment, please contact us today.