Financial & Insurance

Dental Insurance

We work with many different insurance plans. However, your insurance may require you to see a specific dentist to receive maximum benefits. Please check the information provided by your employer or insurance company to make sure you will receive benefits for treatment in our practice.

Dental insurance can be thought of as a discount plan or a coupon. Some services are fully covered, some are partially discounted, and others may not be covered at all. While many believe their dental insurance "covers everything," most plans come with restrictions—either in the amount they pay or the services they include. Since our offices work with hundreds of different insurance plans, it is impossible for our team to know the specifics of yours. We have no control over which services are covered or how much of our fees your plan will pay. Because your coverage and benefits are determined by agreements between you, your employer, and the insurance company, it is your responsibility to understand your plan. Please remember that we cannot get involved in insurance negotiations as a third party. That is up to you.

Our doctors' treatment recommendations are based on what they believe is in your child's best interest rather than on what your insurance covers.

If your child needs treatment other than routine/preventive care, we will give you a written fee estimate. This allows you to contact your insurance company to determine your benefits. If the estimated fee exceeds $500.00, we will file a predetermination-of-benefits form for you.

As a courtesy, we file your insurance claims and make every effort to help you with your insurance. However, you are responsible for any fees not paid by your insurance and for keeping us informed of any insurance changes, such as policy name, insurance company address, or change of employment.

Facts you should know about dental insurance:

Fact #1: You may receive a letter from your insurance company stating that our fees are higher than "usual or customary." An insurance company surveys a geographic area, calculates an average fee, takes 90 percent of that fee, and considers it "usual and customary." Since these are average fees, some practices or clinics may have fees lower than this "usual or customary" fee, and some doctors have fees higher than the "usual and customary" fees.

Fact #2: Dental insurance is not meant to pay ALL your dental fees. It is only meant to help you with these costs.

Fact #3: Many routine dental services are NOT covered by some insurance plans.

Fact #4: Many plans tell their insured that they will be covered "up to 80 percent" or "up to 100 percent" but do not specify that the plan has a fee schedule allowance, an annual maximum, or other limitations. We have found that most plans cover about 35-65 percent of services based on the plan's maximum fee allowance.

Fact #5: The amount your plan pays is determined by the particular plan purchased by your employer. Generally, the less the plan costs the employer, the fewer benefits you receive; only your employer can adjust benefits or change policies.

Fact #6: As your dental care provider, our relationship is with you and your child, not your insurance company. While filing insurance claims is a courtesy we provide to our patients, all charges are your responsibility.

We want you to be comfortable handling these matters, and we encourage you to ask us if you have any questions about our services and fees. We will do all we can to help you receive the maximum benefits from your insurance.

Please contact your company's benefits manager if you have any questions about specific procedures covered in your plan.

Payment of Fees

We are committed to providing your child with the highest quality of dental care. Our fees reflect the quality of care we provide. We continue our commitment by offering various financial options for payment; we accept cash, check, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

For patients who do not have insurance or insurance we can not bill, payment is due at the time of treatment. Our policy is that the parent or guardian accompanying the child to our office for treatment is responsible for payment of all services rendered.

A service charge of 1.5% per month (annual percentage rate of 18%) of the unpaid balance will be added monthly to any account balance over sixty days past due.  Should a collections agency become necessary, the responsible party agrees to pay a collection fee of up to 33% in addition to all charges incurred for services provided.

We also offer low- and no-interest financing options through the CareCredit system.

If you have any questions about financing or payment, please ask us! We will thoroughly explain your choices and work hard to accommodate your needs.