Insurance coverage can be difficult to navigate even under the best of circumstances, and dental insurance in particular can be hard for patients to fully understand. It involves all the stipulations and red tape associated with healthcare benefits, with a series of new and different ones associated with dentistry in particular.
One quirk that both medical and dental insurance share is the waiting period. This odd stipulation can come as a surprise to young adults becoming insured for the first time, or for patients who have been with a single employer for a while. Here’s what you should know about waiting periods as they relate to dentistry.
What is a Dental Insurance Waiting Period?
Generally speaking, the “waiting period” refers to the amount of time that patients will need to wait after signing up for new dental coverage before they can take full advantage of their benefits. The length of this waiting period can last anywhere from 30 days to a full year depending on the details of your plan.
Can I Still Get Dental Care During This Waiting Period?
Again, this depends. While some plans won’t cover anything until the waiting period has passed, it’s more common for only some procedures to be omitted from coverage during this time. It’s usually still possible to receive complementary routine care while the waiting period is still active; however, if any issues are discovered at this checkup or cleaning, you might not be able to depend on your insurance company to pay for treatment.
For this reason, it’s important to determine for sure what your particular dental plan will and will not cover during the waiting period by reviewing your Explanation of Benefits forms and consulting with your insurance company directly.
Does Every Dental Plan Have a Waiting Period?
Not necessarily. Some employer-based dental plans don’t have a waiting period associated with them, while others allow you to use all of your benefits immediately simply as a matter of course.
Still others have waiting periods but offer exemptions for certain patients who have signed on without a previous lapse in coverage. For this reason, it’s critical to thoroughly understand your Explanation of Benefits when you sign on to a new dental plan.
About Our Practice
We know that lots of patients approach dentistry fearing that they’ll be dealing with something complicated and uncomfortable. At Sedalia Dental, we want to change how they feel about oral healthcare. Whether it’s complex restorative treatment or just dealing with insurance paperwork, we’ll do what we can to ensure that getting your dental treatment is as easy as it can possibly be.
If you have any questions about insurance waiting periods, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (614) 836-2222.