Maintaining a healthy smile requires time, patience, and a financial investment. Choosing to enroll in a dental insurance plan means you recognize its value and how it can help you stay on top of your oral healthcare. With many great benefits included in these plans, you may be surprised to learn that some insurance companies have waiting periods. What does this mean, and how can it affect you?
Waiting Periods: What Are They?
Each dental insurance company and plan is different, so if you discover that yours includes a waiting period, don’t be surprised. What this means is that you must wait a designated amount of time before accessing your available benefits.
The average waiting period is between 30 days and one year. Although it might seem unfair for an insurance company to include this kind of stipulation, they have their reasons. One includes deterring patients from purchasing a plan for an upcoming procedure and then dropping their insurance immediately after the bill is paid.
What is the Point of a Waiting Period?
As previously mentioned, insurance companies don’t want individuals to sign up for a plan and then cancel it after a procedure is complete. This only increases the cost of monthly premiums over time and reduces the amount of coverage.
Patients should keep their dental insurance plans throughout the year, even when their teeth are healthy. This not only keeps costs down but also allows insurance companies to provide greater coverage when a problem occurs (i.e., root canal treatment, dental crown, tooth extraction, etc.).
Which Services Are Not Included as Part of a Waiting Period?
Generally, waiting periods do not apply to most preventive services, like dental exams, dental cleanings, and X-rays. These are designed to minimize the potential need for restorative treatment in the future, so dental insurance companies want patients to be proactive about their oral healthcare.
However, if you require a dental filling, crown, root canal, tooth extraction, or oral surgery during your waiting period, you will need to pay the full amount out of pocket.
If your dental insurance plan has a waiting period, it will be mentioned within your policy. If you need help understanding the details associated with your coverage and accessibility, do not hesitate to ask a member of our dental team for help.
About the Author
Dr. Matt Mauck has been part of Mauck & Ricci, DDS, since 2010. Working closely with patients to ensure affordable care, he and our team are pleased to be in-network with Delta Dental. We will make sure you understand your benefits and how to get the most out of your plan throughout the year. If a waiting period exists, we’ll do our best to ensure the health of your smile until you are cleared to use your benefits. If you have questions about your dental insurance, contact us at (303) 745-1400 to speak to a member of our team.