West:
West:
As the weather gradually starts to cool, and the leaves turn from green to an assortment of yellows, reds, browns, and orange, it’s abundantly clear that autumn is on the horizon. This change in season also reminds us that dental insurance benefits for the 2017 calendar year will be lost, if you don’t use them by December 31, 2017!
While this change in season may also bring about numerous changes in daily activities, in many ways it may also serve as the catalyst for the latter part of this year, in which we eventually close the book on 2017 forever. While this may sound a bit melodramatic, it does however call into question what priorities still remain for 2017 and how we may go about accomplishing these matters before the ball drops at midnight on December 31st.
In the hustle and bustle of life in today’s society it seems as though things are constantly in motion, and while that might not always be a bad thing, it can make it a bit easy to overlook certain important things. Therefore as 2017 begins to draw to a close, perhaps the quote by writer Mallory Hopkins was never more relevant when she said, “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth. “
For us, this quote is rings true in more ways, as while it’s certainly important to smile and be happy, and it’s very hard to do both of these things when suffering from dental problems. Therefore when considering priorities to accomplish before the end of 2017, perhaps you should consider taking advantage of your dental insurance benefits and scheduling an appointment with Dr. Roberts at Adams Dental Group, as these unused benefits will not last forever!
That’s right! At the start of each year, your insurance provider will issue you a specific amount of coverage to be used for dental care for that calendar year; however, unlike standard medical insurance, unused benefits do not roll over to the next year. Therefore, any unused benefits will be lost.
We also want to make sure you know that patients that need dental treatment requiring multiple visits, sometimes the insurance company will not allow us to process your dental insurance until the treatment is completely finished. In other words, if you need a bridge or dentures that require more than one appointment and you schedule treatment toward the end of 2017; but your treatment is not completely finished until January of 2018, your dental insurance benefit will be deducted in 2018. Meaning that your dental insurance benefit in 2017 that you planned to use would not be used, instead it would be lost.
Due to this detail, we highly encourage all of our patients to schedule any routine checkups, cleanings, or additional treatments as quickly as possible. Because once those unused benefits are gone there are gone forever!
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If you have a FSA Account or a Health Flexible Spending Account, it is probably part of your benefits package. A FSA allows you and your family, including your spouse and eligible dependents, to use your pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible health care expenses.
How does a FSA Account work you ask? Before taxes are deducted from your paycheck, money is set aside and accrued for you to use on eligible health care expenses. This is an amount that is predetermined by you based on your estimation of these costs that you and your family will incur during the upcoming year.
Think of it as a tax-free health care savings account, if you will, as you can use these funds to pay for health care expenses such as dental checkups, eyeglasses, prescription drugs and much more. You save money on these items that you’re already paying for because you pay fewer taxes and increase your take-home pay because of your tax savings. For example, most people save an average of 30% on their eligible expenses by taking advantage of a FSA Account that is offered as part of their benefits.
Click here for a list of eligible FSA expenses.
Dental Insurance: The time is now!
Like many other dental offices, at Adams Dental Group, our offices get pretty busy. So, the earlier you schedule your dental appointment for yourself or your family, the better chance we’ll be able to schedule your visit and finish your dental treatment before the end of December!
As we descend into this tranquil autumn season, don’t forget that before the busy holiday season and preparations for the New Year begin, there is perhaps no time better than now to receive any sort of dental treatment you and your family require. Remember nobody likes to waste money. At Adams Dental Group, we want to make sure you receive the full value of your insurance benefits. You’ve paid for them throughout the year and it’s important that you use them in full!
So before you start planning for the upcoming holiday season or making a list of New Year’s resolutions, schedule an appointment to come see us! After all, what better way to way to enter a new year than with a smile?
Travis A. Roberts and his experienced, friendly team at Adams Dental Group offer affordable family dentistry and gentle dental care in the Kansas City, KS area. We have two locations that are conveniently located and offer appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At Adams Dental Group, we provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to specialty procedures, including perio planing, dental implants, dentures, endodontic or root canal treatment, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at our East location (913) 621-3113 or at our West location (913) 296-8030 to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Travis A. Roberts, DDS September 26th, 2017
Posted In: Dental Health Tips
Tags: dental insurance
