Estimated Plans
As a courtesy, in addition to filing the claim, we may initially ask you for your estimated co-payment upfront. Please understand that this is only an estimate, and it is based on the information available to us. The range of benefits depends solely on what your employer wishes to purchase. Some plans may cover as little as 30% or as much as 100% of dental services, with most falling in the 40% to 80% range.
The financial obligation for dental treatment is between you and our office. The insurance company is responsible to you, and not to our office. We will be happy to assist you in any way that we can. Once your carrier has paid the claim, any difference will be due upon receipt of our statement. If for any reason, we have not received your insurance carrier’s payment 30 days after the claim, the remaining balance will be due and payable by you.
The insurance company may try to dictate the treatment by considering some services to be unreasonable or unnecessary. In any event, you as a patient will be responsible for all the charges for the services provided at our office, which may not be paid for by the insurance company.
Insurance company allows a certain limit of dental expenses per year. Based on the type of treatment the benefits vary. The insurance company pays a percentage of the expense depending on the type of service provided.
However, when an insurance company says that they cover 100% of a certain service; they mean 100% based on their fee schedule and not necessarily our office fees. This may leave the patient with a balance toward his or her treatment, despite the insurance company claiming to cover 100% of that type of treatment.
We occasionally face the following questions from our clients. Most patients are unaware of their dental benefits. They feel that similar to medical insurance they will only have to pay a fixed office co-pay during their dental visit. Unfortunately, dental benefits are quite different. They are categorized according to the type of treatment; for example, routine cleanings, check-ups, and x-rays are considered preventive treatment; fillings, root canals, extraction, and deep cleaning are considered basic treatment; and crowns, bridges and dentures fall under the major type of treatment.
Our goal has always been to provide quality care. We use the best materials and supplies available in the marketplace. We thoroughly evaluate our laboratories and support services before using them. Once chosen, these establishments have to maintain their standards to continue to be our service providers. We have an excellent staff of qualified professionals, and we take the time necessary to provide quality treatment. We won't compromise the quality of our work. Our practice has grown and continues to grow through referrals from our patients.
We do not participate in any plan that would encourage a more ‘retail’ philosophy of practice. Dentistry is a service, not a product. There is enough diversity in today’s dental marketplace for everyone to find a practice whose values they share. We hope this adequately describes our values.