Know your insurance coverage

When I went to the dentist a few months ago, I noticed that I was getting charged for extra cleaning above and beyond my plan. I initially thought that this was all covered up to 80%.

I inquired, and realised that my plan was based on a rolling year, rather than a calendar year. What does this mean?

It means that if I had some dental cleaning that was done and I booked a new dental cleaning within 365 days of that, I wouldn't have any new and unused cleaning credits it to use. Therefore, if I book the dental cleaning on the 367th day, I have new credits to use.

So, what I will do every year is just keep a mental note of when I had my teeth cleaned and just book the appointment one year and a day later. That way, I can maximize the use of my dental plan.

Note: I actually get seen much more often than once a year, but I'm just simply doing this for illustrative purposes.

Overall, make sure you understand your dental plan so that you can maximize its efficacy. I'm sure the same can be said about other types of insurance.