Posted: December 18, 2017
According to the National Association of Dental Plans, only 2.8% of individuals who have PPO dental plans actually use all of their allotted benefits in a given year. If we look at this from a different angle, over 97% of people are leaving dental benefits on the table at the end of each year. If you're spending money on your dental plan (even if a portion of it is covered by your employer), you should make use of the benefits that you've already paid for.
Most dental plans have benefits that expire at the end of each calendar year (December 31), and unused benefits don't roll over. If you still have preventive visits such as dental checkups and cleanings which haven't been used, you should schedule an appointment immediately before these benefits are wasted.
If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for medical expenses, these benefits are likely to expire at the end of the month as well. FSAs work by deducting a specific amount of money (pre-tax) from every paycheck. This money gets entered into an account that you can use to cover a variety of health-related expenses. However, FSAs typically don't roll over to the next calendar year, so if you still have money in your account, you're about to lose it if you don't use it by the end of the month.
Check with your dentist to make sure your desired procedure can be paid for by your FSA. Certain cosmetic dentistry treatments may not be eligible for FSA funds.
If you need to use your dental benefits or FSA funds before the end of the year, act now before it's too late.
Please contact Dr. Scott Greenhalgh using the form on this page or call 303-988-9060 today to schedule an appointment. We serve patients in Lakewood, Denver and throughout the surrounding areas of Colorado.
