If you need a dental implant (in other words, the permanent replacement of a tooth or teeth), you’re probably wondering whether the cost of your treatment will be covered by health insurance.
Read on to find out about:
- How to check
- What is covered
- What isn’t covered
- Rebates available
- Key considerations
- Payment options
How to check
The first thing you should do is check to see if you have major dental cover with your health insurance fund, as opposed to general (or no) dental cover. If you have major dental cover, it will cover some of your costs. However, it’s important to understand that it won’t cover everything. Depending on the number of the dental implants you receive, the total cost can be several thousand dollars.
If you only have general dental cover on your policy, this only covers part of the cost for routine dental treatments, not for dental implants.
What is covered
The extent of your dental implant insurance cover will depend on the terms and conditions of your policy. Some insurers class dental implants as periodontics (a dental specialty dealing with gum and teeth structure), while other insurers may specifically exclude implants from periodontal cover. You should go to your dental provider for a consultation to get an itemised dental implant treatment plan before agreeing to get any work done. You can then see what treatment will be covered by your policy and what will not.
If your dental provider is a member of HICAPS (the Health Industry Claims and Payment Service) they will be able to provide you with an estimate of how much of a rebate you will receive.
What isn’t covered
Again, this depends on the terms and conditions of your health insurance policy. Even if you have major dental cover in your policy, make sure you check for any exclusions. Some policies may exclude dental implant cover.
It’s also important to understand that dental implants are not covered by Medicare.
Rebates available
The federal government provides a rebate for private health insurance premiums that can help to partially offset the cost of private health cover. To be eligible for a rebate, you must earn less than $140,000 if you’re single or have a household income of less than $280,000 if you have a family.
Key considerations
Key considerations when it comes to dental health insurance cover include:
- which types of dental treatment are included in your policy and which are not. You should read the insurance provider’s product disclosure statement (PDS) to find out this information. Health insurers are legally required to provide you with a PDS prior to you taking out insurance.
- the waiting period before you’re eligible to make a claim. Some insurers have a 12-month waiting period (or more) from when you take out or upgrade your policy, while others do not. Again, this information will be contained in the insurance provider’s PDS.
- whether your dental practice is a member of HICAPS. If they are, they will be able to process your private health insurance claim on the spot at the time of payment. This will help to ensure that you aren’t out of pocket further while waiting for your insurance rebate.
Payment options
At Aria Dental, all of our costs are itemised on the individual treatment plans we provide to our patients. It’s important to understand that dental implant treatment can take several months, and after an initial deposit, you only need to pay for treatment as you receive it. This can help to spread the total amount payable out over the course of your treatment.
We also offer a full range of payment options, including:
- Credit cards (VISA, AMEX, Mastercard)
- Debit cards
- Electronic funds transfer
- Cash
- Afterpay
- ZIP
- Humm
- Personal loans for eligible applicants via Pretty Penny Finance
- Early release of superannuation for the major dental implant work of eligible applicants via SuperCare Australia
How we can help you
At Aria Dental, we provide one of the highest quality dental implant treatments Perth has to offer, including implant-supported overdentures that are supported by (and attached to) dental implants. We are also registered with HICAPS, so we can provide you with an estimate of the health insurance rebate you will receive for your dental implant treatment.
Our other services at Aria Dental include Invisalign teeth straightening, cosmetic dentistry and full mouth rehabilitations. To learn more about the 4 ways dental implants can improve quality of life and what are the benefits of dental implants
Contact us today to find out more!
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