Use your dental benefits before year-end: if your dental plan renews on January 1, whatever is left of this year’s annual maximum usually disappears on December 31. At Hastings Dental Center, 2420 East Hastings Street in East Vancouver, we can help you check what your plan still covers and book you in before it resets.
Does my dental insurance reset on January 1?
Many group dental plans in Canada run on the calendar year, so the annual maximum starts again on January 1. Others run on a policy year that begins on the date your coverage started. In most group plans, money you did not use does not carry forward into the next year. Your benefits booklet, or your insurer’s member website, shows your plan year and how much is left.
What to book before December 31
- Your checkup and cleaning. Most plans cover exams and cleanings at set intervals. If you are due, a December visit uses this year’s coverage.
- Treatment your dentist already recommended. A filling, a crown, a root canal or gum treatment you have been putting off can be done while this year’s maximum is still there.
- Larger treatment over two plan years. For treatment done in stages, such as a crown, a bridge or an implant, starting in December and finishing in January can draw on two years of your plan’s coverage for the parts it covers. Ask us whether your treatment can be staged this way.
How we help with your benefits
We offer direct billing and can help you check your benefits before your visit, so you know what your plan covers. For the part your plan does not cover, we offer flexible payment plans and financing options: see Financing in the menu.
Book before your benefits reset
We are open Monday 11 am to 4 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; Thursday 11 am to 7 pm; and Saturday 9:30 am to 4 pm. Saturday and Thursday-evening appointments make it easier to fit a visit into a busy December; holiday hours may differ, so call to confirm. Call (604) 251-5993 or book through the Book Now form.
Questions about using your dental benefits
What happens to unused dental benefits at the end of the year?
In most group plans, the unused part of your annual maximum does not carry forward. If your plan year ends on December 31, coverage you have not used by then is gone, and a new annual maximum starts on January 1.
How do I know when my plan year ends?
Check your benefits booklet or your insurer’s member website, or ask your employer’s benefits contact. Have your plan details ready when you call us and we can help you check what is left.
Can I still get a cleaning if I had one earlier this year?
It depends on your plan’s frequency limit: some plans cover a cleaning every six months, others every nine or twelve. Your plan details tell you when your next covered cleaning is due.
Does Hastings Dental Center direct bill my insurance?
Yes. Hastings Dental Center offers direct billing and can help you check your benefits. Call (604) 251-5993 to book.
