If you have dental insurance for you and your family, you understand its value. However, just because you are enrolled in a plan doesn’t mean you understand all of the terminology used. If the word “deductible” appears foreign, don’t be alarmed. Many people do not know what it is or how to meet it, but they see it as a requirement that must be met before insurance will start paying more for treatment. Keep reading to learn more about what a deductible is and how it affects your benefits.
Deductible 101: What Is It?
If you are unfamiliar with the word “deductible,” it means that your dental insurance has set a designated amount you must pay in a calendar year before you can begin accessing more of your available benefits.
Most policies have a low deductible (e.g., $50), so meeting it is often easy. As soon as you pay your deductible, your insurance will begin paying its portion of your bill, whether it is 100%, 80%, or 50%.
What Can Be Applied to Your Deductible?
Preventive services are not applied toward your deductible, as these are essential services designed to improve your oral health. They’re also geared toward lowering the chances that you will need restorative treatment in the future.
In most cases, your deductible may be applied toward more complex, restorative care, including dental fillings, dental crowns, root canals, tooth extractions, and more.
An example of how this works is: You need a dental crown that will cost $400. If your deductible is $50, the total amount left to pay is $350. Depending on how your plan categorizes crowns, you may receive up to 50% coverage from your insurance provider. With this knowledge, your out-of-pocket costs, including your deductible, would only be about $225.
How Do You Know if You’ve Met Your Deductible?
While you are always welcome to call and speak to someone at your dental insurance company, you can also ask a member of your dental team for help. With experts on staff who know how to work closely with these companies, they can tell you whether you’ve met your deductible when discussing the expected out-of-pocket costs. This will allow you to budget properly in preparation for your upcoming treatment.
Don’t be dismayed that you must pay a deductible for treatment. Instead, consider it a doorway to greater dental benefits that will help you save significantly on all your oral healthcare needs.
About the Author
Dr. Steven Kendrick earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. As the lead dentist at Midwest Dental Center, he encourages patients to use their dental insurance to help with treatment costs. Although there are aspects of these plans that can be hard to understand, he is pleased to have a team that will work closely with every patient, ensuring they understand the details of their policy and how to maximize their available benefits. Visit our website or call us at (405) 732-0431 if you have questions about your policy.