Yearly Max Exhaustion
All dental insurance plans come with a yearly maximum amount, which could fall between $1,000 to $1,500 per plan based on the insurer and covered services. A vast majority of dental insurance plans get renewed on January 1st, and any unused benefits do not carry over to the following year. So it would only make sense to make full use of the maximum coverage amount.
Premium Payment
You would be paying or would have already paid a premium amount towards the insurance plan to claim coverage for dental benefits. The same applies to FSAs as well, where you contribute towards your dental plan directly from your pay, pre-tax. Not taking up dental services would mean all such contributions would go to waste.
Increase in Fee for Dental Services
As is the case with a majority of services, an increase in fees is common. Dentists, too, incur expenses in the form of equipment and medical supplies. With the increase in the cost of such material, they would have no choice but to increase the services fee. In most cases, the new fee structures would be applicable from the new year. So, delaying your dental appointment could end up in you paying up a higher co-pay amount.
Benefit of Overlapping
Certain dental procedures could easily exceed your yearly maximum amount resulting in a higher out-of-pocket expense for you. To avoid this, you can speak to your dentist and plan your treatment in such a way that your expenses are split between this year and the next - allowing you to get maximum dental insurance coverage.
Dental Issues Get Worse
Besides all the reasons mentioned above, what is most important is one’s dental health. The more you postpone your oral health checkups and dental procedures, the worse the condition could get. Neglecting any type of oral health condition will only worsen the infection, making it spread to other parts. So, your dental health is another major reason why you should visit the dentist before the end of the year.
Dental insurance is definitely a blessing given its wide coverage for a minimal contribution. Do not let it go waste and make use of it at the earliest, i.e., before December 31st.