Private Health Insurance Rebates
At Glenhuntly Dental Clinic, we welcome members of all private health funds with dental extras.
If you do have extras insurance and you are due for a dental check-up or have any required dental treatments that you haven’t yet utilised, you should book in for an appointment as soon as you can.
Many private health funds in Australia reset their benefits after December 31st and unfortunately, any unused benefits do not roll over to the next year.
With our HICAPS terminal linked to 20+ private health funds, you can claim your rebate instantly with a swipe of your health card.
For health funds participating in the HICAPS electronic claims system, we can process your benefit on the spot and only the "gap" payment is required at the time of treatment.
How does dental insurance work and what is covered?
Dental cover is split into two categories: general dental and major dental. Each category has its own annual payout limit, which will vary according to the insurance provider.
- General dental cover: This refers to annual checkups, cleaning & fluoride treatment, minor fillings, and in general, most types of preventative work
- Major dental cover: As the name suggests this includes major procedures such as complex fillings, tooth extractions, crowns, bridges and orthodontics. surgical removal of teeth such as wisdom teeth, dentures and implants
Funds will generally pay a proportion of a standard service fee. Benefits vary between funds, with most covering an average of 40% to 80% of the fees charged. Dental fees themselves vary widely. According to the Australian Dental Association’s 2019 survey of dental practitioners, the average cost of a regular check-up is around $215, with $156 at the bottom end of the range and $296 at the top end.
What should you look for to pick the best dental insurance?
With so many health insurance providers available to choose from, it’s hard to decide whom to select as your provider of choice.
If you're a young, single or a couple, and are in good shape then you may only need general dental cover. However, if you're a family or older couple it's best to consider major dental that covers all possibilities including orthodontics/braces, wisdom teeth removal and dentures.
More facts:
- Many funds impose a 12-month waiting period to access major dental benefits
- Applicable yearly limits or annual cap for “major” dental work (such as crowns and bridges)
- Some health funds direct patients to their preferred providers and to certain procedures, thereby reducing your choice of treatment for your real dental needs.
We recommend a simple solution to this complexity — visit us for a checkup and obtain a treatment plan and quote. This document will include all relevant item numbers and costs, which your health fund can use to calculate your refund in advance. Our dental fees are maintained at the lowest possible minimum while at the same time providing care of the highest quality.
The Steps You Can Take to Maximise Benefits
Call your dental insurance provider and determine the exact amount of your unused benefits. That is the amount of money you will lose if you don’t take the following step.
Call GlenHuntly Dental Clinic to make an appointment. The sooner you call us, the more likely we can schedule you or any eligible family member before the end of the year. While you’re chatting, find out what procedures will qualify for rebates. Typically, cosmetic treatments like veneers or whitening aren’t covered or aren't covered in full.
However preventive procedures such as cleanings, x-rays and routine exams are covered between 40% to 80% of the charge. So are fillings, crowns, bridgework and other dental procedures up to the amount allowed by your plan.
Take advantage of your dental insurance and take care of your oral health. Don’t let this money go to waste as the year ends, and don’t let benefits you have paid for disappear if you haven’t used them or haven’t reached your yearly maximum.
If you need to see a dentist, schedule an appointment with us, we are always happy to attend to your dental needs!
Our mission is to make dentistry affordable without sacrificing the quality of care.