Does Guardian Cover Byte Clear Aligners?

Your dental insurance has likely saved you money on routine procedures like cleanings, oral exams, and fillings. But when something bigger comes up — like orthodontic treatment — it could be a different process, because certain plans might not cover it. The big question is: does yours?

If you’re looking into Byte’s at-home aligner treatment, you’ve likely wondered if your dental insurance might cover it. And if you have Guardian, there’s good news. Guardian plans with orthodontic benefits often cover Byte treatment and give Byte customers an in-network discount. Read on to find out how you can take advantage and learn more about your Guardian plan.

Pro tip: Let Byte’s insurance team do the research for you by getting a free coverage check.

Does Guardian Cover Orthodontics?

Sometimes. It’s different for every plan, which may vary based on your age, employer, household size, and more. Guardian’s basic PPO and HMO plans rarely cover orthodontics, but some of their more comprehensive and expensive plans do. Make sure you read the plan’s details carefully because some have age limits (only cover treatment for dependents under age 19) and/or lifetime spending maximums (usually around $1,000 to $2,000).

Coverage can also vary depending on your location. For example, their Direct Managed DentalGuard DHMO plans in New York, Florida, Illinois, and Texas cover adult braces treatment for a flat rate copay of $2,800 with no waiting period.

Does Guardian Cover Byte?

Guardian and Byte have a partnership that brings Byte into their dental network. This means that their orthodontic benefits can extend to Byte as well. On top of that, Byte customers with Guardian insurance will get an additional “Guardian Network Discount.” So, if your plan includes orthodontic benefits, you might get a discount and insurance coverage.

Byte’s standard, all-day aligner treatment costs $1,999; but with this discount off the top your treatment would be $1,695 instead. Then, let’s say your orthodontic benefits cover 50% of your treatment. You might only end up paying $847.50. Of course, this all depends on the particulars of your plan.

Fortunately, Byte will communicate with Guardian on your behalf to check your benefits and iron out the details. We encourage you to visit Byte’s insurance page to get the ball rolling on this process.

How Much Does Byte Cost?

Orthodontic treatment can cost as little as about a thousand dollars or over 10k. But even on the more affordable end of the spectrum, quality orthodontic treatment isn’t cheap. Byte is more affordable than options like Invisalign, but its price tag of $1,999 for all-day treatment (or $2,399 for Byte At-Night) isn’t exactly pocket change.

If paying the full cost up front isn’t right for your budget, BytePay can help. This is their in-house financing plan, breaking the cost up into smaller chunks. No credit check is required, so everyone qualifies. Terms are as follows:

• 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

As you’d expect with a payment plan, BytePay costs more than paying for the aligners up front. But keep in mind that it includes the Byte Protection Plan, giving you five years of retainers (two sets per year) plus two replacements in case yours get lost or damaged. Since they cost $129 per set, and many dentists recommend wearing them at least overnight for life, you actually save money with BytePay.

How Do Orthodontic Benefits Work?

The first step in using orthodontic benefits is obvious: you need to have them. If you don’t have a dental policy or yours doesn’t include orthodontics, you need to find the right policy for you.

Assuming you have a policy and it covers orthodontics, you need to make sure you are actually covered. Many policies restrict orthodontic coverage to those aged 18 and under. Plans that don’t have an age limit often have a lifetime limit, which you may have already reached.

So, what if you have adult coverage and haven’t hit your lifetime limit? Then you can get help covering non-cosmetic treatment. Clarify with your insurance company what they consider cosmetic.

Will Byte Help Me With Insurance?

Byte goes above and beyond what other at-home aligner companies offer. They don’t just give you the information you need to file claims; they check your coverage, fill out the forms, file them, and even file appeals when needed.

While Byte does more than most, other companies will help to varying degrees. For example, SmileDirectClub will check your coverage. After that, you are on your own.

How Do I Use My Orthodontic Benefits?

The Byte/Guardian partnership makes it pretty simple. Because Guardian considers Byte an in-network treatment provider, they can apply their coverage and discounted rate to the initial price, and you’ll pay the remainder. With other insurance companies you need to pay the entire cost upfront, then file a claim for reimbursement later. The nice part is that you won’t need to worry about navigating the process on your own. Byte will do it all for you.

Just contact your Byte advisor. They will put you in touch with the insurance team, who will walk you through the whole process. They’ll even fill out any necessary paperwork for you to ensure accuracy and timeliness. All you’ll need to do is sign.

What If I’m Not Covered?

Even though Guardian and Byte have a partnership that makes insurance coverage simpler, not every Guardian plan includes orthodontic benefits. So, there’s still a chance that you won’t receive coverage. 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) give you another way to pay for treatment. These accounts hold pre-tax income that you can apply towards qualifying medical and dental expenses. Byte accepts payments from both HSAs and FSAs. The issue is that not all account administrators consider Byte to be a qualifying expense. Be sure to find out before using your funds to avoid penalties.

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

If you have Guardian dental insurance with orthodontic benefits, you’re in good shape to get coverage on your Byte treatment. Their partnership makes Byte’s costs a lot more manageable for customers and helps to streamline insurance procedures.

Plus, Byte’s insurance team makes it incredibly easy to navigate the process, handling your questions, claims, discounts, and paperwork along the way. If you’re ready to get started with treatment and insurance, contact your Byte advisor and they can get the ball rolling.