How are appointments scheduled?
Do I stay with my child during the visit?
What about finances?
Our Office Policy Regarding Dental Insurance
How are appointments scheduled?
The office attempts to schedule appointments at your convenience and when time is available. Preschool children should be seen in the morning because they are fresher and we can work more slowly with them for their comfort. School children with a lot of work to be done should be seen in the morning for the same reason. Dental appointments are an excused absence. Missing school can be kept to a minimum when regular dental care is continued.
Since appointed times are served exclusively for each patient we ask that you please notify our office 48 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment. Another patient who needs our care could be scheduled if we have sufficient time to notify them. We realize that unexpected things can happen, but we ask for your assistance in this regard.
Do I stay with my child during the visit?
Parents/guardians are welcome to accompany their child in all treatment rooms. We encourage this interactive approach so we can better communicate your child's oral health.
What about finances?
Payment for professional services is due at the time dental treatment is provided. Every effort will be made to provide a treatment plan which fits your timetable and budget, and gives your child the best possible care. We accept cash, personal checks, debit cards and most major credit cards.
Our Office Policy Regarding Dental Insurance
If we have received all of the information from you on the day of the appointment, we will be happy to file your claim for you. At the end of the visit we will collect from you the estimated amount insurance is not expected to pay. We file all insurance electronically so your insurance company can receive each claim within days of treatment
Please understand that we file dental insurance as a courtesy to our patients. We do not have a contract with your insurance company, only you do. We are not responsible for how your insurance company handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We can only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment; we at no time guarantee what your insurance will or will not do with each claim.
Fact 1 - NO INSURANCE PAYS 100% OF ALL PROCEDURES
Dental insurance is meant to be an aid in receiving dental
care. Many patients think that their insurance pays 90%-100%
of all dental fees. This is not true! Most plans only pay
between 50%-80% of the average total fee. Some pay more,
some pay less. The percentage paid is usually determined by
how much you or your employer has paid for coverage, or the
type of contract your employer has set up with the insurance
company.
Fact 2 - BENEFITS ARE NOT DETERMINED BY OUR OFFICE
You may have noticed that sometimes your dental insurer
reimburses you or the dentist at a lower rate than the
dentist's actual fee. Frequently, insurance companies state
that the reimbursement was reduced because your dentist's
fee has exceeded the usual, customary, or reasonable fee
("UCR") used by the company. A statement such as this gives the impression that any
fee greater than the amount paid by the insurance company is
unreasonable, or well above what most dentists in the area
charge for a certain service. This can be very misleading
and simply is not accurate.
Insurance companies set their own schedules, and each company uses a different set of fees they consider allowable. These allowable fees may vary widely because each company collects fee information from claims it processes. The insurance company then takes this data and arbitrarily chooses a level they call the "allowable" UCR Fee. Frequently, this data can be three to five years old and these "allowable" fees are set by the insurance company so they can make a net 20%-30% profit.
Unfortunately, insurance companies imply that your dentist is "overcharging", rather than say that they are "underpaying", or that their benefits are low. In general, the less expensive insurance policy will use a lower usual, customary, or reasonable (UCR) figure.
Fact 3 - DEDUCTIBLES & CO-PAYMENTS MUST BE CONSIDERED
When estimating dental benefits, deductibles and percentages
must be considered. To illustrate, assume the fee for
service is $150.00. Assuming that the insurance company
allows $150.00 as its usual and customary (UCR) fee, we can
figure out what benefits will be paid. First a deductible
(paid by you), on average $50, is subtracted, leaving
$100.00. The plan then pays 80% for this particular
procedure. The insurance company will then pay 80% of
$100.00, or $80.00. Out of a $150.00 fee they will pay an
estimated $80.00 leaving a remaining portion of $70.00 (to
be paid by the patient). Of course, if the UCR is less than
$150.00 or your plan pays only at 50% then the insurance
benefits will also be significantly less.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, please keep us informed of any insurance changes such as policy name, insurance company address, or a change of employment.