Your Dental Benefits: It’s Time to Use It or Lose It!

| October 24, 2017

With trick-or-treating, Thanksgiving travel, school breaks, and holiday parties, the end of the year is typically jam-packed with activity for most families.

Well, guess what? The same holds true for dental offices!

That’s why we encourage you to schedule an appointment today. Plus, doing so will allow you to use up all your dental benefits before a new calendar year starts.

How Does Dental Insurance Work?

Each month you pay a premium which entitles you to dental services at a free or reduced cost once your deductible is met.

After you’ve met the deductible, your plan will pay a certain amount, say $1,500, toward preventative and restorative services. If you don’t use the full $1,500 before the year ends, you lose your benefits and need to meet a new dental deductible for the following year.

How Do Flexible Spending Accounts Work?

If you receive health insurance through your employer, you may be enrolled in a Flexible Savings Account (FSA). With an FSA, you can deposit untaxed money into an account to use toward out-of-pocket medical expenses. However, as with dental benefits, this money typically must be used by the end of the year or you’ll lose it.

Why Should I Use My Dental Benefits Now?

The best way to explain why it’s important to use your benefits now is to offer up an example. Say, for instance, that you’ve already met your deductible for the current year, and you have $600 of dental benefits remaining. Let’s also say you need $1200 of dental work. If you were to wait until next year to have that dental work done, you wouldn’t be able to use that $600 toward it. No one wants to lose $600—and we’re certain you have plenty of ideas for how you’d spend that extra money!

By scheduling your dental work now, you’ll not only save money, but you can also make sure you get one of our coveted end-of-the-year appointments. While we always do our best to accommodate everyone who desires an appointment this time of year, these slots do tend to fill up quickly.

How Do I Find Out If I Have Dental Benefits Remaining?

To determine if you have benefits remaining, we recommend you contact your insurance company or check its website. If you still have the Explanation of Benefits packet you received from your insurance provider, you can also find the information there.

Likewise, if you’ve contributed to a Flexible Spending Account this year, we recommend you contact your plan administrator to determine if you have any benefits remaining.

What Types of Services Do People Typically Use their Benefits for?

While you should check your coverage for specifics, we recommend you consider a routine dental checkup, or if coverage permits, restorative work like fillings, crowns, and bridges. Additionally, teeth grinders may want to consider an evening night guard.

We encourage you to schedule your visit to Grandview Dental today so you can secure your appointment before the year-end rush.

It’s easy to schedule your visit with us – simply call us at 614.486.7378 or click here to access our online appointment request form. For your convenience, we offer day and evening appointments.