Pocket More Savings with Dental and Vision Coverage

Everyone loves saving money on insurance, but when it comes to dental and vision benefits, a small investment may add up to big savings in the long run. Knowing exactly where your medical coverage ends and your dental and vision coverage begins is the first step. For example, if you need oral or eye surgery for a health reason – such as cancer, injury or a detached retina – your medical plan should cover it.

Dental and vision plans cover the maintenance stuff like regular eye exams or getting a cavity filled.

When checking out dental and vision plans, it’s good to compare how much you’re likely to pay with and without coverage; like medical benefits, the answer depends on your needs.

Dental coverage: Putting your money where your mouth is

The cost to have a cavity filled is unlikely to cripple you financially. But these costs can add up quickly. Can you afford an emergency dental procedure? If not, you might find paying a small dental premium each month would be best in the long term.

Be sure to look at the monthly payment, the deductible and covered procedures of available plans. Then compare that to how much you plan on spending on dental care. The good news is preventive dental care is usually fully covered. So compare the cost of checkups to your monthly payment too.

And remember, major dental work can be expensive without coverage. Although there may be an annual limit on the amount your insurance will pay, you can still save money if you need repairs like crowns, braces, root canals or tooth extractions.

Vision coverage: An eye for savings

Vision coverage works differently than dental insurance. Think of it almost like a coupon book for buying groceries since most vision coverage comes in the form of a discount.

Again, you’ll want to compare the amount you’d save with the discount against the monthly payments over a year.

Vision insurance is not for big unforeseen expenses. It’s for routine eye exams, glasses and contacts. And these discounts can help you save money!

Since monthly payments for dental and vision coverage are fairly low, you might be able to offset their costs quickly – even if you don’t use them very often.