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Time to Think about Using Flex and Insurance Benefits

The end of the year is rapidly approaching and is a busy time of the year for everyone. However, most insurance and flexible benefit plans work on a calendar year basis and if you don’t use your benefits before year end, they are gone and new benefits start next year.

If you know you have dental work that needs to be done or if you suspect that you have some work that needs done, now is the time to get it scheduled.  This is especially true for those of you where your coverage limitations under your insurance policy is set at $1000 or $1500.  In the dental world, it doesn’t take long for those benefits to be used up.

By waiting you can end up needing to pay the cost of needed dental work out of pocket or paying for more procedures (i.e. a root canal and a crown vs. just a crown.)

We have lists of patients with dental work which has been preauthorized by insurance companies but not yet scheduled.  Some of you are waiting to see if you will have other dental work that you need to get done in 2016 (i.e. something is hurting) before going forward with dental work on teeth that are not currently hurting.  Now is the time to schedule that work.  Remember that crown and bridge work takes at least two appointment times with space between them.  Implants, partials and dentures take more appointments than that and everything must be finished by December 31st.

Sedation appointments for wisdom teeth removal or other procedures for Thanksgiving week and winter holiday are also filling up quickly.  The hygiene schedule fills quickly during that time as well for workers and students who find it difficult to get away during non-holiday times.

Finally, remember that while most insurance companies provide that cleanings need to be six months apart, some provide two cleanings at any time during a calendar year.  It is always important to figure out what your individual dental insurance policy provides.  Flex programs are almost always on a calendar year and if your benefits are not used during the year, they are lost.

Our six dentists and nine hygienists are available Thanksgiving week and the whole month of December so that we can help you meet your dental needs in the most financially advantageous manner possible.  Please give us a call.

Posted October 26th, 2016