Dental insurance can be a valuable resource that helps you achieve and maintain excellent oral health. However, you may not have immediate access to all your benefits after you enroll in a policy. Your insurance provider might enforce waiting periods for certain services. What are dental insurance waiting periods, and what should you know about them? This blog post shares important information.
What Are Dental Insurance Waiting Periods?
A dental insurance waiting period is the amount of time you must wait after your policy starts before you can use specific benefits. The length of the waiting period depends on the insurance provider and the type of procedure. For example:
- You may need to wait 6 months before you can use coverage for basic treatments such as fillings.
- Major procedures like crowns or dentures might require a waiting period of up to 12 months.
Why Do Insurance Companies Enforce Waiting Periods?
Waiting periods can seem like a bummer, but insurance companies have some valid reasons for enforcing them:
- They discourage people from signing up for insurance only when they are in need of extensive dental work.
- They encourage people to maintain continuous coverage.
- They help spread the financial risk among all policyholders.
- They allow the insurance company to manage resources and predict costs more effectively.
Which Services Are Usually Exempt from Waiting Periods?
The good news is that many insurance companies waive the waiting period for certain services. For example, most plans allow patients to start enjoying preventive care right away, so you should not hesitate to book a cleaning and exam with your dentist immediately after your policy becomes active. Emergency examinations might also be exempt.
You might be able to avoid all waiting periods if you already had dental insurance for a specific amount of time before switching to your new policy.
But what if you are not exempt from waiting periods, and you need a certain treatment right away? Do not try to tough it out until your waiting period ends. Instead, ask your dentist about other provisions that could make it easier for you to afford care. For example, they might have an in-house discount plan or accept low-interest financing from CareCredit.
Dental insurance waiting periods are a feature of most plans. Understand how your policy works so you do not run into any unpleasant surprises when you go to pay for your oral healthcare.
Meet the Practice
At Northwest Family Dental Huntsville, Dr. Kevin Grill and our team understand that many patients in our area are concerned about the cost of care. Not only do we welcome popular insurance plans, but we also have an in-house discount plan and take financing from CareCredit and Cherry. To learn more about how we can help you afford high-quality dental care, contact our office at 937-843-3932.