It’s nice to have dental insurance for your child. That said, maybe reading through the details of their plan has you feeling like you’re playing a game of chess where your hard-earned dollars are the pieces! Never fear, your pediatric dental team will be willing to help you understand your child’s insurance benefits. In the meantime, read through this guide so you’ll have a winning strategy for the year.
Keep The Deductible and Yearly Max in Mind
Your child’s deductible will be the amount of out-of-pocket cash you’ll have to spend on their dental care before the insurance coverage will kick in.
Their yearly maximum is the most money the insurance company is willing to pay out in a given year. Basically, if you go over it, you’ll have to rely on your own funds for any leftover expenses.
Nearly all dental insurance policies have a deductible and yearly maximum, though the amount of these two concepts varies from plan to plan. Keep this in mind as you prepare to make your next financial move!
Squeeze In Care Before January
Because of the way dental insurance deductibles and yearly maximums work, it’s usually a good idea to squeeze in as much dental care as possible and necessary before January 1st. This is because your child’s benefits won’t “roll over” into the new year. If there’s any money left on the chess board after December, the insurance company will pocket it, and your child’s progress towards their deductible and yearly max will reset.
Take Advantage of Preventative Care
Perhaps the best advantage that dental insurance gives your child is 90% – 100% coverage for preventative care – many plans will even apply this coverage regardless of whether the deductible has been met. Typically, this means your child could get two checkup and cleaning appointments completely (or mostly) for free.
These visits are shown to significantly reduce the need for more costly treatments down the road, so if nothing else, make sure you arrange two appointments every year!
Outlining Your Insurance Strategy
Let’s condense all this information down into a short and sweet playbook that’s a bit easier to look at:
- Step 1: Review your child’s deductible and annual maximum.
- Step 2: Schedule any dental treatments they might need sooner than later.
- Step 3: Make sure to arrange a checkup and cleaning if your child hasn’t had two appointments already.
- Step 4: Contact your pediatric dental team if you have any questions.
Stick to this strategy, and you’ll have successfully taken full advantage of your child’s dental insurance benefits for the year!
About the Practice
Each of our seven pediatric dentists at Glen Ellyn Pediatric Dentistry is board-certified, meaning that you can rest easy knowing your child will be taken care of by someone who’s trained to help them feel comfortable and safe. We know your little one’s dental insurance benefits can be confusing and want to help you maximize their yearly coverage. If you have questions about your pediatric dental insurance policy, don’t hesitate to contact us at 630-858-8755.