When it comes to dental bills, insurance can be a lifesaver. Dental insurance plans often save you from paying for preventative care and basic procedures. And if you have the right plan, they can cover your Byte at-home aligners too.
But before you jump headlong into treatment, take a closer look at your policies, because every provider and plan is different and some won’t help you out with Byte treatment. Delta Dental rarely covers online clear aligners, but Byte will help you contact them to double-check. And this guide will give you the details you need to analyze your Delta insurance coverage.
Pro tip: Let Byte’s insurance team do the research for you by getting a free coverage check.
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Does Delta Dental Cover Orthodontics?
It depends on your plan. DeltaCare USA and more comprehensive Delta PPO plans often cover braces, and some will cover Invisalign treatment too. These plans can vary based on your location, your employer, and the number of people who need coverage. And they can include age and spending limits too. Even so, coverage for braces is a safe bet and Invisalign is pretty common too. Just don’t expect to get your entire treatment cost covered because they’ll usually only cover up to 50%.
Does Delta Dental Cover Byte?
Delta has explicitly stated that they won’t cover at-home clear aligner treatment — and customer reviews have confirmed it — so you shouldn’t expect your plan to include Byte treatment. But you should check with Byte’s insurance team anyway (head over to Byte’s insurance page to get started). They’ll contact Delta for you to see if there’s a chance you could receive some type of coverage.
While researching Delta, you might see places on their website where they refer to at-home aligners as DIY treatment. We should note that there’s an important distinction between Byte treatment and DIY orthodontics. Byte follows the ADA’s guidelines for teledentistry treatment, and every case is created by a licensed dentist or orthodontist. In contrast, DIY orthodontia involves using crude tools like rubber bands to move teeth with no professional oversight.
How Much Does Byte Cost?
If traditional orthodontics takes a bite out of your bank account, home aligners take a nibble. But that nibble is still significant. Byte’s standard, all-day aligner treatment is $2,099. And if you choose their At-Night aligners (which you only need to wear for ten continuous hours a day), it’s $2,499. Those prices include all of your clear aligners, one set of aftercare retainers, and their HyperByte high-frequency vibration device.
Do those prices look a little steep? You can spread them out over 36 months by enrolling in a BytePay financing plan. Since BytePay is an in-house payment plan, you don’t need a credit check to qualify. Here’s how they look:
- All-day treatment: $249 down payment, then $70 a month for 36 months
- At-Night treatment: $299 down payments, then $84 a month for 36 months
Add it all up and you’ll notice that these payment plans end up being more expensive than the sticker prices. That’s primarily because they include a subscription to the Byte Protection Plan, which provides new aftercare retainers every six months (for five years) and will replace lost or stolen retainers twice. On their own, Byte’s retainers cost $129 per set, so it will save you money in the long run.
How Do Orthodontic Benefits Work?
Just because you have dental insurance, however, doesn’t mean your orthodontia is automatically covered. That’s where orthodontic benefits come in. The problem is, not every plan includes them. If you plan on getting orthodontic treatment at some point, you’ll want to enroll in a plan with orthodontic benefits when you choose one.
But as we’ve already mentioned, every insurance plan is different, and their orthodontic benefits can vary too. They’ll typically cover traditional, in-office treatments like braces and Invisalign and some will cover remote treatments like Byte too. Even so, orthodontic benefits aren’t all-inclusive. Most times, they’ll only cover a certain percentage of treatment. And they also often have restrictions like age limits, lifetime spending limits, and waiting periods.
Let’s say your treatment costs $3,000 and your orthodontic benefits cover 50%. If they have an age limit, it’ll probably only cover costs for patients up to age 19. And if they have a lifetime spending limit of $2,000, you’ll still have $1,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. That’s why it’s important to understand the particulars of your dental plan before you begin your treatment.
Will Byte Help Me With Insurance?
They’ll do more than help you. They’ll take care of everything. At the outset, they’ll do a preliminary check to determine whether you might have coverage. Then, after you proceed with treatment, they’ll complete and submit your claim paperwork. And if your claim gets denied, they’ll find out why and look for ways to correct it, whether that means contacting the provider directly or filing an appeal.
Byte is the only at-home aligner company that goes this far to help you navigate your insurance processes. Some competitors, like SmileDirectClub, will do a preliminary check for you, but they won’t handle any paperwork or communications after that.
How Do I Use My Orthodontic Benefits?
Byte has partnerships with certain companies that bring them in-network and allow them to accept payments directly from the provider. But in other cases, you’ll need to pay up front (or jump on a payment plan), then file a claim for reimbursement after the fact.
Just contact your Byte advisor. They will put you in touch with the insurance team, who will walk you through the whole process, and even fill out your claim paperwork to ensure accuracy and timeliness. They’ll tell you where to sign, then you can sit back and wait for your reimbursement.
What If I’m Not Covered?
If you have Delta Dental, chances are you won’t have coverage for your home aligners. But don’t worry, there are still ways to manage your expenses. You could switch providers and/or plans, but you can only do that during open enrollment periods or if you have a qualifying life event. And if you have insurance through your employer, they might not offer plans from other providers. If so, you could enroll in an individual plan to supplement your employer-provided one. But that means you’ll be paying more in premiums, so you’ll have to make sure the savings are worth it.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are also options. These accounts allow you to use your pre-tax income to pay for medical and dental expenses, and Byte accepts HSA/FSA payments, which can save some money. You’ll just need to ensure that your HSA or FSA considers at-home clear aligners a qualifying expense.
And if $2,099 is looking like too much for a lump-sum payment, you can break it up into more manageable chunks by enrolling in BytePay, Byte’s in-house financing plan. This plan requires a $249 down payment, followed by 36 monthly payments of $70. The best part is that there’s no credit check involved, so everyone qualifies.
Final Thoughts
Dental insurance can make Byte’s convenient treatment and personalized customer support even more of a bargain, but coverage isn’t always available. Delta Dental is less likely to cover home aligner treatment than other providers, but Byte will still handle all your insurance paperwork and communications. If you’re considering Byte, ask them about insurance right off the bat and they’ll be with you every step of the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are dental and health insurance separate?
The two areas of practice separated themselves from each other right from the start, forming their own schools, standards, and associations. Insurance simply followed their lead.
Will dental insurance always include orthodontic coverage?
No, there are quite a few plans that don’t cover any orthodontic treatment. Those that do often come with limits that might prevent you from accessing the care you want.
What are common limits on orthodontics when covered?
First, lifetime spending limits: once the company pays a certain amount toward orthodontics per person or per policy, they cut you off. Second, age limits: many only cover orthodontics for those age 18 and younger. Finally, most won’t pay if they feel the treatment is cosmetic, and this can depend on the nature of the treatment or the specifics of your misalignment.
Why are some insurance companies hesitant to cover at-home and hybrid treatments?
First, this is a newer approach to treatment, and insurance companies are often late adopters of innovative treatments. Second, the lack of or minimal in-person supervision means that certain issues are difficult to notice until they progress. While these issues are rare, they can be enough to stop some insurers from offering coverage.
If my policy covers orthodontics, will they cover them in full?
It’s not likely. Usually, orthodontic coverage caps out at 50% of the cost, though you might find a more generous policy.
What fees should I keep in mind when setting my budget for treatment?
You should look at your deductible and what you’ve paid towards it, your copay and/or coinsurance, and the percentage of treatment covered by your policy.
Can I use HSA and FSA funds in addition to insurance?
Yes, you can use all three to pay as long as you do not double-bill between the options.
What is the easiest way to find a policy with orthodontic coverage?
First, ask your employer about the policies they offer. If they don’t have any that work for you, the easiest way to find a policy is to work with a broker. They can evaluate all options and select several that could work for you.
Do I need to wait to use my benefits?
Some policies do have waiting periods, so you might need to wait anywhere from three months to two years to utilize yours.
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