Does my Insurance cover that? This is a question that I hear every day multiple times. There is a huge misconception on the part of the dental consumer about dental insurance and what it actually does. The answer to “does my insurance cover that” is usually NO, and if not, then the answer is that it covers only part of it. The faulty thinking on the part of the consumer is that dental insurance is not a be all to end all and that if you pay your monthly premium and deductible all necessary treatment will be taken care of. The sound you are hearing in the background is someone pressing a very large red buzzer!!!!!!! Dental insurance is very good about covering cleanings, most exams, some x-rays, however that is where the buck stops. There is a year waiting period associated with most plans before any treatment is covered, and then the coverage is extended up to $1000 per calendar year. Anyone who has needed dental work recently knows exactly how far $1000 goes to covering treatment like root canal, crowns, or implants. So why bring this up? The reason is this faulty thinking is injuring patients every day. For instance, if they are in need of two crowns, and there insurance covers one per calendar year, then they elect to do one and put the next one off till next year. Guess what? That tooth that needed a crown this year will likely not even be able to be saved next year, and at best will definitely need root canal therapy on top of the crown it already needed. If you required eye surgery on both eyes and your insurance company stated they would cover only one eye would you elect to put that treatment off till the next calendar year knowing the untreated eye would be worse at best and there was a great liklihood that you would lose it? Of course not!!!!!!!!!! What people need to realize is that insurance companies don’t care about you, are doing everything in their power to deny any possible claims you may have, and in fact are businesses that are making money from you. Quiz: Who do you think pays more? Do you think you pay more money for premium and deductible every year, or your insurance company for your treatment. Hint: they are a business that makes huge profits every year. You guessed it, you are the winner in the spending war by a landslide. I tell people everyday that if you look at the Fortune 500 you will find it dominated by people in the Insurance business, however you will not find a single Dentist. The take home message here is if you are waiting for insurance companies to pay for the treatment you need, then you will be waiting a very long time. Use your insurance for your cleanings, exams, and x-rays, but if you need treament then get the treatment you need and don’t put it off or not get it done because your insurance company wouldn’t pay. They don’t care about you and you will certainly regret it later!
