Every year at this time we like to encourage our patients to review the amount remaining on their annual dental benefit. According to the National Association of Dental Plans, only 2.8% of people with dental plans reach or exceed, their plan’s annual maximum. This means that millions of people miss out each year on optimizing the dental benefit to which they are entitled. If you have a Health Spending Account (HSA) or a flexible spending account (FSA), this can also be used annually to help pay for dental care with pre-tax dollars. These accounts have rules which require you to use them in the same calendar year as your treatment is done in. If you don’t use FSA dollars, you can lose them!
It is pretty likely that your current plan will run out on December 31st. The money allotted for the dental benefit, in the vast majority of insurance plans, can only be used in the current fiscal year. Very few plans have any rollover into the next year. Make sure you are not ringing in the New Year with money left on the table and your recommended, and much needed dental treatment, unfinished.
In some instances, fees can increase in a new fiscal year due to increases in the costs of materials and equipment. Co-pays and deductibles can increase year to year as well. It can save you unforeseeable costs to use those 2018 benefit dollars now while the cost of treatment is most affordable.
Perhaps the most important reason to schedule now for needed dental treatment, in addition to using your benefit completely and saving money in the long run, is the reduced risk of more extensive and expensive treatment down the line. If dental issues are ignored, and decay or deterioration is left to progress, they can become much worse than the highly treatable original issue was in the first place.
Give us a call today and let’s get you scheduled to maximize your benefit and get that much-needed treatment taken care before the end of the year!
Donna Lizotte, Office Manager
