How To Save Money On Dental Care

The pandemic was bad for oral health. Many people were unable to attend to their dental care needs due to lockdown restrictions and thereafter, a surge in demand for dental care that made access to dental care hard to get. In addition, according to the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, access to dental care declined even more because six million Americans lost their dental insurance due to the pandemic. Over one in 10 people delayed getting treatment because they lacked insurance, the cost was prohibitive, they feared exposure to Covid-19 or some combination of the above. Managing dental costs has never been more important. Fortunately, dental costs are largely predictable. You can effectively schedule annual exams, cleanings, and even in cases where restorative procedures such as getting dental implants can typically be scheduled far off enough for some planning to be done. This allows you to take more proactive measures to take care of your dental care needs.

You can reduce your dental expenses through the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) benefit, the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) plan benefit, or a flexible spending account (FSA).

FEHB Plan Benefits

The first place to look to try and reduce your dental expenses is your FEHB Plan. You need to understand any dental benefits that you have. You can find what dental coverage you have in section 5(g) of your brochure. Nearly all FEHB plans cover accidental dental injuries, but many do not provide additional dental coverage. However, this just refers to “official” plan benefits. Typically, official benefits cover just preventive procedures, although others cover a broader range of items.

Some plans also offer a dental savings program under the “Non-FEHB benefits available to plan members” section of your brochure. To access the “unofficial” benefits of your plan, you must use a specific provider network. You can get a list of participating provider networks from your plan, while also learning about the discounts on offer.

FEDVIP Plan Benefits

FEDVIP Plans exist as standalone plans offered to federal employees under the management of Benefeds. Unlike FEHB plans, the government does not contribute to FEDVIP plans. Federal employees pay the whole premium. Active employees pay a premium pre-tax which gives them a 33% discount.

If your dentist is within the network, you won’t have to pay for diagnostic and preventive procedures, you will pay 20% to $5% for intermediate procedures and between 50% and 65% for major procedures. High plan options reduce out-of-pocket costs much more than Standard options. Your brochure should show the out-of-pocket costs per procedure, so you can plan ahead and get the plan that covers that procedure. 

FSAs

Enrollees are likely to have some out-of-pocket costs in 2022. Getting an FSA should save you around 30% on your dental expenses. As from 2022, you will be able to deduct $2,850 of your paycheck before paying taxes and you will be able to roll over as much as $570 of any unused money into the next year, making your trip to your New Hampshire dentist that much more affordable. 

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