Introduction: Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em
It’s hard to believe, but we’re in the final stretch of the year. As the calendar winds down, so do many dental insurance plans. Most dental benefits operate on a calendar-year basis – that means any unused benefits (like coverage for cleanings, exams, or procedures) typically expire on December 31st and do not roll over into the next yearbashdental.com. In other words, if you don’t use them, you lose them. At Horsham Dental Care, we want to help our patients in Horsham, North Wales, Montgomeryville, and beyond make the most of the dental coverage they’ve been paying for all year. In this post, we’ll share tips on how to maximize your dental insurance benefits before they reset, and why now is the time to schedule any pending treatments or check-ups.
1. Schedule Outstanding Preventive Visits Now
Most dental insurance plans fully or mostly cover preventive services like routine check-ups, cleanings, and often annual X-rays. Generally, you’re entitled to two cleanings per year (sometimes one every six months) under these plans. If you’ve been putting off a trip to the dentist or simply lost track of time since your last visit, check your records. Have you had your two cleanings in 2023? If not, there’s still time to get in for a cleaning and exam before year’s end. These visits not only keep your mouth healthy but also are essentially “free” or very low-cost to you if you have insurance. You’ve paid your premiums all year – make sure you get those health benefits! Our Horsham Dental Care schedule tends to fill up as the holidays approach with folks eager to get in last-minute care, so try to call early in November for the best choice of appointment times. We accommodate as many patients as possible and even have extended hours on certain days to help busy families.
2. Complete Outstanding Treatments
Do you have any dental treatments that were recommended earlier in the year but you haven’t scheduled yet? Perhaps a filling for that small cavity, a crown for a cracked tooth, or a nightguard to protect against grinding? Now is the time to take care of those. Many insurance plans have an annual maximum – a cap on the dollar amount they will pay for your dental work within the year. If you haven’t reached your max, any remaining benefit is essentially money on the table that disappears come January 1st. For example, if your plan has a $1,000 annual maximum and you’ve only used $400 so far on one filling and your cleanings, you might have $600 worth of benefits still available. That could cover another filling or two, or a significant portion of a crown or other procedure. By completing treatment now, you potentially save significantly on out-of-pocket costs by using insurance benefits that would otherwise vanish. Plus, addressing dental issues sooner rather than later often means simpler, less expensive treatment and prevents problems from worsening (a small cavity now could become a root canal next year if ignored).
3. Plan Ahead for Major Work
Maybe you know you need a more extensive procedure that will exceed your annual insurance maximum – such as multiple crowns, an implant, or a set of veneers. One savvy strategy is splitting treatment across two plan years. For instance, if you start in December with one part of the treatment and complete it in January (when your benefits renew), you can take advantage of two years’ worth of insurance benefits. Our team can help plan out a timeline for multi-step treatments. Say you need two crowns and an extraction with a bone graft (for a future implant). Perhaps we can do the extraction in December, utilizing the remaining benefits for 2023, then do the crowns in early 2024 under the new set of benefits. This way you minimize your out-of-pocket expense by leveraging your insurance to the fullest across both years. However, it’s important to start planning now – don’t wait until the last week of December, because some treatments need multiple appointments or have lab turnaround times. The earlier we map it out, the smoother it will go.
4. Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) – Don’t Forget Those
Many of our patients use a Flexible Spending Account through their employer to set aside pre-tax dollars for healthcare expenses. FSAs often have a “use it or lose it” policy by year-end as well (unless your plan has a grace period or rollover feature; you’d need to check your specifics). If you’ve got money sitting in an FSA that can be applied to dental work, it makes sense to use it for any needed care before you lose those funds. This could apply to copays, deductibles, or any treatment costs not fully covered by insurance. Essentially, using your FSA on dental treatments is like getting a discount equal to your tax bracket on those services (since the money wasn’t taxed). We can provide treatment estimates to help you plan how to allocate any remaining FSA funds efficiently.
5. Don’t Delay Needed Care
While maximizing insurance is smart, the most important thing is not to delay necessary dental care. Dental issues generally get worse – and more costly – the longer they’re left untreated. Insurance benefits are there to help you maintain your health. If fear or busyness has kept you away, let’s turn that around. Our friendly team will never scold you for time away; we’re here to help you move forward. And if you’re worried about costs, remember that prevention and early treatment are far less expensive and invasive than waiting. We also offer financing options and can work with you to prioritize treatments according to your budget and benefit usage.
Call to Action: The clock is ticking on 2023’s dental benefits. Contact Horsham Dental Care today to schedule an appointment or consultation. We’ll help you review your remaining insurance benefits and create a plan to maximize them. Our office proudly serves Horsham, North Wales, Montgomeryville, and all neighboring areas. Let’s finish the year strong with a healthy smile and wise use of your benefits – it’s your money and your health, so let’s make the most of both!