Dental insurance is a wise investment – one that allows you to take better care of your oral and overall health without incurring high out-of-pocket expenses. When reviewing your policy, you’ll discover how much your insurer agrees to pay for preventive and restorative services as well as what you can expect your deductible and annual maximum to be. While all of this looks and sounds good, there’s one component that tends to leave policy owners confused – waiting periods. Why do they exist and how do they work? Keep reading to find out!
What Are Waiting Periods?
If your dental insurance plan includes a waiting period, it means there is a specific amount of time you must wait before your benefits can be used toward any service or procedure you receive. This timeframe is different depending on your preferred plan, but don’t be surprised if it’s one month, six months, or even a full year.
Why Do Dental Insurance Plans Include Waiting Periods?
Before discussing the “why” behind their inclusion in certain dental plans, it’s important to remember that not all insurance companies have them. In fact, many employer-based policies do not require a waiting period.
There is one major reason why this particular stipulation exists – it ultimately lowers insurance costs. The easiest way to explain it is a waiting period prevents individuals who recently enrolled from using their benefits to pay for multiple complex dental procedures and then canceling their coverage once they receive the necessary savings.
Without waiting periods, insurance companies would spend a lot more money in the long run. However, by implementing them as part of their plans, they can encourage patients to seek regular preventive care – a factor that leads to lower monthly premiums.
How Do Waiting Periods Work?
If you discover that your plan includes a waiting period, you might wonder if you’ll be able to see your dentist at all during the designated timeframe. First, the month(s) or year you may have to wait does not apply to all your available benefits.
For example, many preventive services, like dental checkups and cleanings, X-rays, and fluoride treatment are unlikely to require a waiting period. However, if you require a dental filling, dental crown, root canal, tooth extraction, or another similar method of restorative care, you may have to hold off on seeking treatment for several months or a full year.
While a waiting period may not seem like a “fair” thing for dental insurance companies to include as part of their plans, they are designed to not only prevent individuals from taking advantage of the system but also to pass along greater savings to you in the long run.
About the Practice
At Meadowbrook Dentistry, our team knows how important it is for you and your family to have access to affordable oral healthcare. This is why we work closely with various dental insurance companies to serve as an in-network provider for multiple plans. Our staff will help you understand whether you have a waiting period and how you can get the most out of your benefits, so visit our website or call (516) 346-5655 if you have any questions about your available coverage.