Orthodontia
and Dental Insurance
If you are looking
for a plan that will pay for most of your orthodontic costs you will probably
be in for a big disappointment
We get calls every
day from individuals who want to find a plan that will pay all or part
of the cost of putting braces on their kids. Here are some of the options
available to you:
1. Group PPO health
insurance plans usually offer orthodontia as an option. Even so, the option
has a waiting period before it goes into effect and limits the amount
of payment. You can expect $1000 to $1500 of coverage. The cost of the
option will eat up most of the this payment. After all is said and done,
you don't get that much.
2. Reduced fee plans
generally offer a discount for orthodontia. The discounts are typically
20 - 25 percent without any waiting period. Considering the low cost of
these plans, they are excellent values.
Some plans treat adult
braces different than those for a child. You can make an argument for
the need for this procedure at any age. However, it will fall on deaf
ears if they do not want to cover it.
Adult Orthodontia
According to the American
Association of Orthodontists, 1 in 5 orthodontic patients are adults.
You want to be particularly careful about choosing a plan if you are looking
for coverage or discounts for adult treatment.
Alternative
Payment Methods
We obviously feel
that having a discount plan is the most cost-effective answer to help
defer the cost of orthodontic care. However, there are other ways to save
money on this procedure.
Health Savings Accounts
(HSA) - if you have a health savings plan for your health insurance, you
can use the money in the savings account to pay for orthodontia. You will
be using pre-tax money. Depending on your tax bracket that can be a big
savings.
Flexible Spending
Account - again, pre-tax money can be used to pay for dental services.
Financing - some dentist
will finance the work if you have very good credit or recommend an outside
source. One client took a homeowner's equity loan and then deducted the
interest off of his taxes.
Bottom Line
You can call us to
see what the cost and savings might be but the discount plan and an orthodontist
who accepts it will be the best value.
We are here 9 AM to 7 PM EST Mon - Fri. 954-757-0033
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