HOW ARE APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULED?
Our office schedules appointments at your convenience.
We like to see our kids in the morning. Dental appointments are an excused absence from school, and we can get them in and out quickly if needed.
*We require notification at least 24 hours in advance if you can’t make it since there will be another parent who needs that slot.
DO I STAY WITH MY CHILD DURING THE VISIT?
We Invite You to Join Us for Their First Examination
Parent involvement is encouraged for all non-sedation appointments. A child's oral health depends on your attention.
(For safety and privacy, other children who aren’t being treated should remain in the reception area with a supervising adult.)
WHAT ABOUT FINANCES?
Payment for dental services is due at the time treatment is provided. You will have already received a treatment plan with a realistic budget and recovery timeline.
*We accept cash, personal checks, debit cards and most major credit cards. We will also go through your insurance.
DENTAL INSURANCE – OFFICE POLICY
If we receive all of your insurance information on the day of the appointment, we’ll be happy to file your claim for you.
Please be familiar with your insurance benefits, as we will collect from you the estimated amount insurance does not cover.
By law, your insurance company is required to pay each claim within 30 days of receipt. We file electronically, so they will receive each claim quickly
You are responsible for any unpaid balance after 30 days whether insurance has paid or not.
Balances unpaid after 60 days, will require a fee of 1.5% per month until paid. We would like to avoid this and will gladly send a refund to you if your insurance pays us.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND that we file dental insurance as a courtesy. We do not have a contract with your insurance company. We are not responsible for how they handle claims, or for what benefits they pay. We can only assist in estimating. We do not guarantee what insurance will do with each claim. We are not be responsible for any errors in filing your insurance.
AS A COURTESY WE HELP WITH THE FOLLOWING ACCEPTED INSURANCES
- Aetna DPPO
- Assurant DHA
- Ameritas PPO
- Cigna Radius
- Cigna Total DPPO
- Dentamax
- Delta Dental USA
- Delta Dental PPO & Premier
- Dental Network of America DPPO (Through United Concordia)
- Guardian Dental Guard
- Humana
- Metlife
- Principal
- United Health Care
- United Concordia
- Anthem BCBS
- Connection Dental - GEHA
- Medicaid
- CHIP
- and more… just ask!
FACT 1 - NO INSURANCE PAYS 100%
Dental insurance is meant to be an aid to dental care. Many patients think insurance pays 100% – NOT TRUE.
Most plans only pay 50-80% of the total fee.
(The percentage paid is determined by your insurance companies agreement with you/your employer.)
FACT 2 - BENEFITS ARE NOT DETERMINED BY US
Sometimes your dental insurer reimburses at a lower rate than the dentist's actual fee.
Insurance companies may state that the reimbursement was reduced because “your dentist's fee has exceeded the usual, customary, or reasonable fee (UCR)”
This statement gives the impression that the dentist’s fee is unreasonable. This is misleading and inaccurate.
Insurance companies set their own schedules, and each company uses a different set of fees. Frequently, this data can be up to 5 years old and setup so they can make a profit.
Insurance companies may imply that your dentist is overcharging, but in reality they may be underpaying or providing a low benefit.
FACT 3 - DEDUCTIBLES & CO-PAYMENTS MUST BE CONSIDERED
When estimating dental benefits, deductibles and percentages must be considered. To illustrate:
Let’s say your procedure is $150 and it’s covered under the insurances customary fee
Subtract your $50 deductible.
The plan will now pay 80% of the final $100
Out of a $150 fee they pay an estimated $80
Leaving $70 to be paid by the patient
(if the UCR is less than $150 or your plan pays a different percent, then the insurance will cover less)
MOST IMPORTANTLY, please keep us informed of any insurance changes such as policy name, insurance company address, or a change of employment.
