Rockville Dentist Reminds Patients To Use Insurance Benefits

Now that Thanksgiving is a memory until next year, most of us are channeling our energy into preparations for the next holiday.  Your Rockville dentist, Victor R. Siegel, would like to remind you that your annual insurance benefits could also become lost memories and lost dollars if you don’t use them before the end of the calendar year.

Most dental insurance plans run on a calendar year, which means on December 31, your benefits expire, even if they haven’t been used.  So why is this important to you?

·         Annual Maximum-This is the most that your insurance company will pay in benefits per person each year.  This amount includes your preventative hygiene visits and also any restorative treatment you may need.  If you have unused benefits, they will just expire and not rollover to the new year.  You will, however, receive a renewal of your benefits on January 1.

·         Deductible-An amount of money you pay before your insurance company pays for services.  This usually only applies to restorative services, but with some plans it can apply to any type of treatment.  The average deductible per person is $50 per year, so if you’ve already paid it this year and you have more treatment, do it now because you will incur a new deductible for 2013.

·         Premiums-You’re probably paying for your dental insurance directly out of your paycheck, right? Make sure you are using what you are paying for!  At the very least, most plans offer preventative hygiene visits-usually either twice a year or every six months.  This is when Dr. Siegel or his dental hygienist Jilna can catch problems early before you are dealing with something big like a toothache, broken tooth, gum disease, or even oral cancer.

·         Preventing Emergencies-It’s always a good idea to fix little problems before they become big ones.  Dental treatment is no different.  A small cavity left untreated will eventually grow, and possibly someday need a root canal, or maybe even lead to loss of that tooth.  Using your dental  benefits will save you both time and money in the long run.

Please give us a call if you are not sure if you have any unused dental dollars, or even if you have any unscheduled treatment.  We will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.  We may be reached at 301.963.4330 or email us at drvsiegel@aol.com.