The Clock Is Ticking on Your 2020 Dental Insurance!

The last few months of the year are a busy time for most people. You may be preparing for seasonal festivities, looking for great deals on items you plan to purchase, and making plans for the future. In all the end of the year craziness, however, there is one thing that you should not let slip your mind: your oral health. Are you using your 2020 dental insurance in Odessa to the full? Your time to maximize your coverage is running out!

Benefits Do Not Roll Over

Most dental plans work on a calendar year basis. At the beginning of the year, your insurance company allots a certain amount of money for you to use on approved services. This is called an annual maximum, and for most policies, it is around $1,000. Any unused portion of that amount expires at the end of the year. Therefore, if you only visit your dentist when you have an emergency, you may be letting hundreds of dollars of benefits go to waste every year.

Of course, the above information does not mean that you should request dental procedures you do not really need just for the sake of using your benefits. However, it does mean that you should be diligent about attending regular dental appointments and following through with any treatments that your dentist recommends.

Tips for Maximizing Your Coverage

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your 2020 dental insurance:

• Schedule a checkup. Most dental insurance policies allow you to attend two cleanings and checkups each year without paying anything out of pocket. Due to concerns over COVID-19, many people have missed at least one of their regularly scheduled checkups this year. Now is the time to schedule one! Rest assured that your dentist is taking all necessary precautions to protect your safety.
• Plan for restorative care. If your dentist discovers that you have a cavity or any other oral health problems, you may still have time to use your 2020 benefits to get those issues treated. If you require a major treatment, you may be able to split up the procedure across calendar years so you can use two annual maximums rather than one.
• Ask for help. If you have questions about how your policy works, don’t hesitate to reach out to your insurance company. You can also ask the staff at your dentist’s office. They are used to working with insurance and would be happy to assist you.

Are you getting as much as possible out of your 2020 dental insurance? Now is the time to take a look at your policy and determine how to use it to your greatest advantage!

About the Author

Dr. Franklin Boyles has more than four decades of experience in his profession. Five times, he has been voted as one of the best dentists of the Permian Basin. He and his son, Dr. Stephen Boyles, work together to offer top-quality care to residents of Odessa and the surrounding communities. They also understand that many patients are concerned about the cost of dental care. That is why they are happy to accept payment from a broad range of insurance companies. To learn more about Boyles General Dentistry and how we may be able to help you maximize your benefits, contact us at 432-366-0986.