Orthodontic Dental Insurance
Orthodontic treatment and care can be very expensive, in part due to the lengthy duration of many orthodontic corrections. In the case of traditional braces, having them fitted, regularly checked and adjusted, plus use of the necessary equipment and the orthodontist’s time all add up and can cost thousands of dollars in total. Many people find these costs too high to finance alone, so they must turn to insurance.
Are you already covered?
All dental insurance plans are different; therefore if you already have a dental plan you must check its details to find out what is and is not covered by the policy. In some cases, your current plan might cover you for a portion of the costs for serious orthodontic treatment. This is probable if you were already considering orthodontics before signing up with your insurer, in which case you probably found a policy with adequate coverage.
However, in many cases people’s normal dental insurance does not sufficiently cover orthodontics. This may be due to a variety of reasons depending on the insurance company and type of plan. Lower-cost plans are often more wary about covering costly treatments, and innumerable policies stress checkups and preventative care as a way to limit large costs later on.
Is your coverage sufficient?
Your current policy may indeed include some orthodontic coverage. In this case the next step is to ascertain how much coverage. Ask about your maximum benefits, yearly limits, and the process for filing claims. An average dental plan, with basic coverage, usually sets limits on the amount of coverage a patient can claim for in any one year. This means that, in addition to paying premiums (and deductibles for some plans), you are liable for any costs exceeding the insurer’s yearly threshold. A common figure is $1000, which is reset every year. If your dental care for the year is minimal you might only spend $200 to $300, but when receiving orthodontic treatment the costs are significantly greater. The cost for braces alone can exceed $1000, so in effect the patient reaches their yearly limit immediately, before factoring in checkups, adjustments, x-rays or retainers.
Supplementary orthodontic insurance
Perhaps your orthodontic coverage is insufficient, or there is none because the insurer labels such procedures as ‘cosmetic.’ If your dental plan does not cover orthodontic treatment but you require or anticipate the need for such care, you should consider investing in a supplementary form of orthodontic insurance. These specialised branches of dental insurance work in the same way as regular dental insurance: you pay premiums monthly or yearly, and receive the agreed coverage in return. As with any insurance, the extent of coverage varies widely between providers. Note the maximum they will cover, plus the percentage of costs they will pay. On average you can expect good insurers to pay in the region of 50% for these procedures.