Health insurance glossary
Benefit year
Plain-English definition
A benefit year is the 12-month period a health or dental plan uses to count deductibles and annual maximums. It may follow the calendar year or start on the plan's anniversary date. When a new benefit year starts, deductibles and annual maximums reset; lifetime maximums do not.
By the HealthRate editorial desk
How it works
Your plan booklet or the plan's member site states when the benefit year starts.
Some limits use a different period, such as one exam every two years, which is counted from the last time you claimed rather than the benefit year.
If you have used most of a maximum, the timing of a treatment around the start of a new benefit year can change how much is covered.
Why it matters
Knowing when your benefit year starts tells you when maximums reset, which helps with planning treatments such as physiotherapy or dental work.