Patient Information
Insurance Information
Our insurance coordinators deal with many different insurance companies. Some companies offer many different dental and medical plans. These companies can change benefits, co-pays, and deductibles many times throughout the year. We do our best to provide you with accurate coverage estimates based on information available to us. At times, it can prove difficult to accurately estimate a patient’s insurance co-payment. Many insurance companies will not give out fees until after the treatment is completed. Dealing with these companies can be challenging and time consuming. As a courtesy, we ask that you keep us informed of any changes to your insurance. It is important that all information about you and your insurance is current.
Although we will gladly file a claim on your behalf, you may wish to submit the claim yourself. In general, insurers process claims filed directly by patients faster than those filed by the service providers (dental offices).
Further, most dental insurance policies are limited and often only pay for a portion of the procedure(s) that may need to be done.
Co-Payment
The majority of dental plans reimburse approximately 30-80 percent of treatment costs. With this in mind, for on-going visits, we ask that the estimated co-payment percentage be paid at the time of treatment. As an exception, your first visit must be paid in full at the time of service as we have discovered that frequently your insurance will not pay for the evaluation appointment. Should they do so after your appointment has been completed, any overpayment that may exist on your account will be promptly refunded.
Medically Referred Patients
If a patient comes to us with a problem that they expect to be covered by medical insurance (biopsies, tumors, TMJ, infections), they must be prepared to pay in full for their visit at the time of service. Although, we will help file your claim with your insurance, few periodontal procedures are in fact covered by medical insurance. Frequently, a medical referral is necessary for your claim to be covered. It is essential that you obtain this before any treatment is rendered. We cannot obtain the referral for you and the referral cannot be obtained retroactively.
Medicare
Medicare does not pay for your typical periodontal procedure. We do not currently accept medicare reimbursement.
Private & Group Insurance
As a courtesy to our patients with dental benefit plans, we will submit necessary claim forms, receipts, and other information to your insurance company.
Regardless of when your insurance might pay, your account will become due in full 60 days after treatment has been rendered. We will assist you by helping to process your claim, but ultimately the responsibility falls upon you to ensure that the account has been paid. Upon receipt of an insurance payment, any balance due will be billed to you. If you have deposited an excessive co-payment, it will be refunded to you immediately.
