In these hard and tough economic times we are living in, it's becoming more and more challenging to justify and meet the expenses associated with orthodontic and dental braces. However, if you're lucky to own dental insurance that also covers your orthodontic treatment, you could end up having to pay only a small proportion of the total treatment cost. If you don't have a suitable dental insurance or are not on any dental plan, financing your orthodontic treatment could become quite daunting.
There are however, a number of things or steps you could take to lower your cost of orthodontic treatment including:
1. Calling On Your Insuring Company
If you've got health insurance, it could include your dental treatment and perhaps even the orthodontic treatment. The majority of health plans don't typically pay for orthodontic treatment cost for persons who are above 18 years old, although they give coverage to children that are below age 18. Confirm with your insuring company before you head to that orthodontist. It is possible that in case you require jaw surgery or some other form of facial surgery, a portion of that expense might be covered within your medical health plan rather your dental plan.
In addition, the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) which commenced in January 2014 provides needed and vital access to benefits for a variety of basic dental services in Australia to about 3 million children between ages 2 and 17. For additional information on the CDBS, you could visit the website run by the Commonwealth Department of Human Services.
2. Joining A Dental Plan
Fundamentally, dental plans are in fact not insurance plans; these are basically discount plans. You'll be paying a monthly fee and could get treated by any orthodontist who is participating in the dental plan. The main advantage is that the rates are on average much less than what it would cost to get treatment outside of the dental plan.
There are however, usually some restrictions. For instance, some may not cover your orthodontic treatment which is already taking place. You therefore need to be a member prior to getting your orthodontic treatment because if you already you've got braces on, the plan may not cover that. Therefore, do your homework well before you pick one!
3. Working Out A Suitable Payment Plan
When you're getting orthodontic braces, you typically got to make a down payment and then have rest of the cost spread over some specified period. When you're consulting with any potential orthodontist, find out if some other additional financing might be possible at low or no interest.
4. Looking Into Available Government Programs
If you're on a limited budget associated with a low income, you might be able to obtain orthodontic treatment under the Medicare programs, at least on a subsidized level. Regrettably these programs are extremely confusing and come with lots of eligibility requirements. For instance, minor cosmetic treatment is not covered and your case would have to first be deemed as being medically necessary. In case you're not certain about which government assisted program might apply for your case, contact your state or social services agency. Alternatively, you could check out the Dental Benefits Act 2008 which provides framework on how dental benefits are to be provided in Australia.
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Corinna St Orthodontics offers viable plans to pay for your treatment. Sam Whittle will discuss with you and help you to choose the most viable option. At Corinna St Orthodontics, there is always a solution. Visit us at http://cstorthodontics.com.au/financing/ for more information.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
How To Afford Financing Your Orthodontic Treatment
5:43 AM
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