Maximising Your Health Fund Benefits for Dental Treatments
Your health fund can be one of the most important assets that will help you manage the cost of dental care, be it for preventive treatment or to attend to a serious dental condition. By knowing how to make the most of your health fund benefits, you can save on costs and keep your teeth in good condition.
Here at Murwillumbah Dental, we work with many of our patients to maximize their health fund coverage. In this blog, we will take you through the kinds of dental treatments that are commonly claimed under health funds, how you can plan your treatments to keep out-of-pocket costs as low as possible, and how we can help you with your health fund.
Understanding Your Health Fund Coverage
Many health funds have a series of benefits, ranging from minor preventative dental care to major procedures. Understanding what exactly is covered by your fund and how best to make the most out of those benefits will go a long way in keeping your costs really low.
Preventative Treatments
Fortunately, most health funds have an extremely high coverage percentage for routine check-ups, cleanings, and x-rays. Preventive treatments are designed to maintain healthy teeth and mouths to prevent serious, and costly, dental problems later. Frequent preventive benefits allow for early detection of issues.
General Treatments
Other general dental treatments, such as fillings, extractions, and root canal therapy are often covered partially by most health funds. You should find out how much your policy covers. Most funds offer benefits per year, and you will get much better value out of your fund when you book appointments for treatments needed before the annual limits run out.
Major Dental Work
If you need crowns, bridges, or dental implants, consider these major dental work, and your out-of-pocket expenses may be higher. Often, though, the health funds will provide considerable coverage.
Tips to Maximise Your Health Fund Benefits
Regular Check-ups
Regular visits to your dentist help you utilize your preventive care benefits to their fullest. This also helps you keep away from bigger issues that could result in emergency visits or costly procedures.
Know Your Benefit Limits
Each health fund has a yearly limit on dental cover. Know your limit and where possible, plan your treatments in advance before the end of the year. In this way, you can gain the maximum benefits per year without losing partly unused cover.
Bundle Treatments
If you need more than one procedure, ask if it’s possible to combine them in one visit. This allows reducing the number of out-of-pocket costs and yet manage to get the treatment one needs.
Ask About Gap Payments
Still, so many patients get shocked by the “gap” between what their health fund covers and what they have to pay. We at Murwillumbah Dental are happy to go over options with you and reduce a gap payment whenever possible.
Use Extras Cover Wisely
Many health funds offer extras cover, which adds extra benefits to the more basic plans for added treatments. Extras can help lower your out-of-pocket expenses on dental care, so it is important to learn about what extras are available through your health fund and how you can use them.
Health Fund Options in Murwillumbah
With private health funds, there are certain benefits available for those who reside within and around Murwillumbah. Our team can always assist you in knowing exactly what your health fund covers and how to maximize it for your dental needs. We work with numerous health funds on a regular basis and can streamline the claiming of benefit claims to make this process easy and hassle-free for you.
This can make quite a big difference in dental treatment costs while keeping you on top of your oral health without breaking the bank. If you need any help regarding understanding your health fund or in planning your dental treatments, be sure to ask the team at Murwillumbah Dental for assistance. If you would like to make an appointment, give our office a call today to begin making the most of your health fund benefits.