Unless you work directly with insurance every day, it can present a bewildering world with its own jargon and set of rules. For example, do you know much about your annual maximum for your dental insurance plan? No worries if you don’t! Keep reading to learn about how this one element (as well as others) can help you decide which company and policy is right for you and your family.
What Is an Annual Maximum?
An annual maximum is the total amount that your dental insurance policy is willing to pay out every year toward your care, including preventive services. Once your company has paid this number, you are fully responsible for paying the rest of the bill out of your own pocket.
As a standard in the industry, you will find that many insurance companies offer $1,000 and $1,500 annual maximums. However, the highest rated dental insurance plan for 2025 (Anthem’s Essential Choice PPO Platinum) has an annual maximum of $2,000. Meanwhile, Ameritas is set to have a $2,500 annual maximum for the first year and a $3,000 annual maximum after that. Humana supposedly doesn’t have a maximum annual payout for covered services!
Why Is Having a Higher Annual Maximum Important?
Unfortunately, for several decades, the nation’s average annual maximum has remained at this lower rate. Back in the 1960s, this amount paid toward quite a few issues and better supported the financial obligations of the patient/policy holder. However, in 2025, this normal annual maximum may barely cover your routine cleanings and checkups and one basic restoration per year—perhaps.
Dental insurance policies with a larger annual maximum are better prepared to meet your more serious needs. In other words, if you need dental repairs, this higher amount can keep your out-of-pocket costs down even more.
What Other Factors Should You Consider When Selecting Dental Insurance?
Comparing dental insurance companies and plans can come with a lot of frustration because they slightly differ, and you may not know exactly what you need. Other attractive features of dental insurance policies include the following:
- No or short waiting periods for certain treatments (Ameritas).
- Coverage for orthodontic work (Guardian).
- Partial coverage for cosmetic services or dental implants, which weren’t traditionally included in benefits (Guardian).
- Full coverage for preventive care (Humana).
- Same coverage for in-network and out-of-network providers (Cigna).
Not every dental insurance policy will have everything you want, but it’s essential to grasp annual maximums and the other features you should look for. With this knowledge, you can more easily identify the one that will provide the best value and most financial peace of mind.
About the Practice
Six locations for Williamsburg Dental are sprinkled throughout the Lincoln area, which means you’ll always find us close by. We gladly accept and are in-network with most PPO dental insurance plans, and our team will do everything we can to maximize your available benefits to your smile’s advantage. Do you have questions about using your dental insurance plan properly? Give one of our offices a call or reach out to us online here.