Is there a difference between dental insurance and health insurance? Both can be used to help you save money when you go to the doctor, but do they work the same way? In reality, dental insurance’s coverage is quite different from health insurance, and knowing this can help you get the most out of your benefits whenever you visit your dentist in Crete.
Similarities and Differences
There are many similarities between both kinds of insurance. With either, you or your employer pay a monthly premium, and you can gain access to your benefits after meeting a pre-negotiated deductible (though some HMOs do not have this). When you go to the doctor, the insurance company generally pays the doctor directly for its share of their fees, and it’s up to the patient to pay for the remainder. And, both kinds of insurance offer additional discounts if a patient visits a practice that is “in-network” with their plan.
The big difference is in the kinds of services each type of insurance covers. While health insurance is intended to help you deal with problems as they pop up, dental insurance is mostly focused on helping you avoid dental issues in the first place. This is why, for most dental plans, preventive services like checkups and cleanings are completely covered while restorative treatments (such as fillings, crowns, and bridges) are only partially covered.
What Does This Mean For You?
So how can you use this knowledge to maximize your dental plan?
The simple answer is to use your dental insurance to mostly cover your two recommended appointments each year. These visits will likely be fully or almost fully covered by your insurance, and as a bonus, they’ll keep your teeth healthy so you won’t need more expensive procedures to fix them in the future, saving you money in two distinct ways.
Most dental insurance plans also have something called an annual maximum, which is the highest dollar amount of care it will cover per person, per year. For most people, simply using their insurance to cover their standard appointments makes their plan practically pay for itself, and often, there is plenty of money left over to offset the cost of any restorative work needed.
Something to keep in mind, however, is that this annual maximum actually resets at the beginning of each year, so if you haven’t used it all by the time January 1st rolls around, that extra money will not rollover. Most people end up leaving money on the table because they only have one checkup a year or delay starting much needed dental treatment.
So in order to get the most out of your plan, the best thing you can do is try to use all of your benefits before the year ends. You’ll not only be doing right by your wallet, but your smile will be much healthier as well.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the differences between dental and health insurance should drastically affect how you use each, and by focusing on preventive care, you should be able to easily afford your dental care for many years to come.
About the Author
Dr. Andre Rossini is a general, restorative, and cosmetic dentist based in Crete, NE. As a dentist who takes insurance, he’s dedicated to helping his patients completely understand their plans so that their dental care is always affordable. To learn more about how you can maximize your dental benefits, he can be contacted through his website.