{"id":231,"date":"2020-10-27T14:58:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T14:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/?p=231"},"modified":"2020-10-28T16:06:40","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T16:06:40","slug":"dentist-in-wallowa-county-talks-maximizing-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/dentist-in-wallowa-county-talks-maximizing-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Maximize Your Dental Insurance Benefits Before the End of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Woman_smiling_at_dentist_appointment__.jpg\" alt=\"Woman smiling at dentist appointment\" class=\"wp-image-232\" width=\"311\" height=\"206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Woman_smiling_at_dentist_appointment__.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Woman_smiling_at_dentist_appointment__-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Woman_smiling_at_dentist_appointment__-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 311px) 100vw, 311px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are fortunate enough to have dental insurance, then you can enjoy benefits like 80% off minor procedures and 50% off major treatments. However, few patients truly understand the fine print of their dental plan, which means their coverage often lapses before they\u2019ve had the chance to fully utilize it. To prevent this from happening to you, read on for three tips from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/new-patients.html\">dentist in Wallowa County<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#1. Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year for Preventive Care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All too often, patients view their routine checkups and cleanings as optional. However, neglecting preventive care can cost you in the long run. Not only does it leave you vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease, but it also means you\u2019re paying for something you\u2019re not utilizing. Since dental plans are centered around prevention, the price of bi-yearly visits is built in. They <em>want <\/em>you to visit the dentist twice a year, which is why 100% of the cost of routine appointments is often covered. So, if you haven\u2019t scheduled your biannual visit, there is no time like the present to do so!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#2. Use Your Flexible Spending Account Dollars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is when an employer designates a portion of an employee\u2019s salary to healthcare expenses. The employee can use this reserve to cover dental costs, like an unexpected root canal. Unfortunately, few patients are aware of how much money is in their FSA or forget about it entirely. So, if you have a FSA, make sure to talk to your HR department or your colleague who handles your healthcare benefits since they don\u2019t rollover year to year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#3. Utilize Your Benefits Before They Lapse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As New Year\u2019s Eve rapidly approaches, it is important to remember that your dental benefits may be about to reset. To ensure that your coverage doesn\u2019t lapse or that there aren\u2019t any benefits you haven\u2019t used, look into the \u201cend date\u201d on your dental plan and review your remaining annual maximum. If you have any questions along the way, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to your insurance provider. That way, you can get the dental care you need while simultaneously utilizing all your benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading over your dental plan may not be the ideal way to spend your free time, but it can ensure you aren\u2019t wasting your money. So, if you aren\u2019t familiar with your insurance and want to maximize your coverage, make sure to use the above tips before the end of the year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since graduating from Oregon Health and Science University with his DMD, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/meet-dr-schaffeld.html\">Dr. Tyler Schaffeld<\/a> has helped countless patients achieve pristine oral health and jaw-dropping smiles. He and his team are united behind their mission to make every step of your dental experience seamless &#8211; even when it comes to payment and benefits! So, if you want to utilize your coverage before the end of the year, don\u2019t hesitate to visit his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or give him a call at<strong> 541-426-3783<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you are fortunate enough to have dental insurance, then you can enjoy benefits like 80% off minor procedures and 50% off major treatments. However, few patients truly understand the fine print of their dental plan, which means their coverage often lapses before they\u2019ve had the chance to fully utilize it. To prevent this from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235,"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231\/revisions\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schaffelddental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}