Does health insurance cover Invisalign in Woodbury, Long Island NY?

Does health insurance cover Invisalign in Woodbury, Long Island?  

A perfect smile not only boosts your confidence, but it can help with a variety of daily tasks, such as eating and talking. Not having an ideal bite affects about 20 percent of the population, so it is not an uncommon problem. There are a few ways to realign your bite to enhance your smile and the overall functioning of your mouth and jaw. One increasingly popular option is Invisalign.

With Invisalign, you can gradually improve your bite using clear aligners so that no one knows that you have braces. Since they slide in and out, you do not have to worry about metal bands poking your mouth and gums, or having to change rubber bands frequently. If you are considering Invisalign, the first step is to ensure that you are a candidate and then you need to learn if your dental insurance will help you to cover the costs.

How Much Does Invisalign Usually Cost Without Insurance On Long Island NY?

How much is Invisalign without insurance? On average, Invisalign costs about $3,500 to $8,000 without insurance. A few factors determine what you might pay, such as how many aligners you will require to get a complete treatment and how long it will take to fix your bite issues.

If you are considering Invisalign, you should book a consultation appointment with your orthodontist. They can assess your smile and determine the amount of treatment you will need. This will help to narrow down the potential costs so that you can better plan and figure out how much you may need to come out of pocket throughout your course of treatment.

Does Insurance Normally Cover Invisalign?

Does health insurance cover Invisalign in Woodbury, Long Island New York? Many dental insurance plans will cover this orthodontic treatment just like they cover traditional braces. Depending on your policy, they may cover much of the total cost or 25 to 50 percent of it. In some cases, policies will provide a certain dollar amount toward this treatment. For example, they may provide up to $2,000 for Invisalign. In this case, you are responsible for the remainder of the cost.

Many policies have a lifetime cap for various orthodontic treatments. In these cases, once your Invisalign treatment costs reach the cap, you will have to pay the remainder of the balance. Your insurance company can tell you what the lifetime caps are on your policy.

How Much Does Invisalign Cost with Insurance?

Now you know the answer to “is Invisalign covered by insurance?” Your aligner costs are dependent on your insurance policy. The average is about 40 percent coverage by the insurance company. For example, if the total cost is $1,000, your insurance would cover $400 of the total cost.

Your orthodontist can quote you a price and then you can call your insurance company and ask them about how much they will cover. They can give you an idea about how much they will provide so that you can subtract it from the quote you get from your dentist.

Which Insurance Plans Cover Invisalign on Long Island, New York?

Several major insurance carriers provide at least partial coverage for Invisalign on Long Island, NY. While all policies vary regarding exactly how much coverage they provide, the following insurers have plans that provide at least some coverage:

• Aflac
• Humana
• Cigna
• MetLife
• United Health One
• Aetna
• Delta Dental
• USAA

These are all major insurance carriers. The Medicaid programs throughout the state do not offer any coverage for Invisalign as the providers that are under this program consider it a purely cosmetic procedure. If you have Medicaid, you are only about to get metal braces covered.

Does Cigna cover Invisalign in Woodbury, Long Island NY?

Cigna offers three different policies for those seeking dental insurance. However, you can only get orthodontic benefits through the Cigna Dental 1500 plan. The company states that you can get Invisalign with this plan and they will provide up to 50 percent coverage of the associated costs.

If you choose the 1500 plan, you will have to have the plan for an entire year before you can take advantage of the orthodontic coverage. It is also important to consider that the lifetime maximums associated with this plan can be quite high at $1,000 per person on the plan. If Invisalign is something that you can wait a year for, however, this plan may be an option for you.

Does Delta Dental Cover Invisalign in Woodbury, Long Island NY?

Delta Dental is an insurance company that specializes in providing dental care insurance. They do have different plans that offer insurance coverage for Invisalign. It is important that you look at the different policies they have available because there are different coverage limits to choose from regarding clear aligners.

Look at the comprehensive allowance options that this company provides. Some only offer the comparative standard treatment cost. However, they have other plans that will provide you with at least partial coverage of the entire treatment, including any post treatment that is needed once you are finished using Invisalign.

One of their plans does not cover any fees associated with Invisalign. This is their DentalCare USA plan. So, if you are getting a policy with this company with the intention of helping to pay for Invisalign, keep this in mind.

Does Blue Cross/Blue Shield Cover Invisalign in Woodbury, Long Island NY?

This insurance company will likely not cover Invisalign, at least for patients age 18 and older. The company’s dental plans do not talk about any discounts for orthodontic treatments. They also specifically state that they do not offer coverage for “cosmetic” treatments under any of their dental plans.

Due to them not offering “cosmetic” treatments, it is unlikely that any adult will be able to use any of their coverage for Invisalign. If you are trying to obtain clear aligners for a minor child who is under your plan, contact the company. While they do not state that minors can get Invisalign, the website is unclear whether they offer it or not. Most of their information about not covering “cosmetic” treatments discusses adult patients only.

Does Invisalign Cost Include Retainers?

Once you complete your treatment with Invisalign, your orthodontist will require that you use a retainer to maintain the new alignment of your teeth. If you do not use a retainer, there is a high risk that your teeth will start to shift, and you may need to undergo orthodontic treatment again to fix the shifting.

Unfortunately, the cost of Invisalign does not include the retainers that you need during the post-treatment process. You can expect to pay $100 or more per retainer, so this is something to keep in mind. Your orthodontist can give you a better idea about how much the retainers you will need will cost you, based on your specific orthodontic needs and history.

What Can Invisalign Not Fix?

Invisalign is a good option for a variety of bite issues, but there are certain problems that cannot be fixed using this treatment. There are three primary limitations associated with Invisalign and these include:

Tooth shape: If your teeth are pegged or too short, your orthodontist might recommend another treatment option. This is because such issues can actually prevent the proper working of the clear aligners.

Severe overbite: With a regular overbite, Invisalign can be a good option to help to correct it. However, when this is severe, your dentist will likely recommend that you use traditional metal braces because these are easier to tailor to the overbite that you are dealing with.

Tooth position: There are times when Invisalign is not enough to help certain teeth get into the proper alignment. For example, if any of your teeth have too much of a rotation, clear aligners will likely not be enough to correct them.

It is also important to remember that wearing your Invisalign clear aligners exactly as your orthodontist directs is critical to get the full benefit of the treatment. You must also follow up with all post-treatment care, such as using your retainers as indicated, to maintain the results you get with Invisalign.

So does health insurance cover Invisalign in Woodbury, Long Island NY 11797?

With the popularity of Invisalign increasing, more people are starting to explore whether it is an option for them. Always make sure to contact your insurance company before seeing your dentist to determine if they will help to cover the cost of your procedure. It is also critical to determine if they will help with follow-up treatments as needed so that you can properly budget.