Dental insurance:
Are you in my network?
Will my plan pay for that?
Why is my maximum so low?
Do I have a deductible?
What if I don’t have insurance?
If my insurance doesn’t pay for it, I guess I don’t need it.
We get asked dental insurance questions all day long. For so many of our patients, they feel they never had the dental plan they signed up for explained to them. Most of our patients have no clue what their coverage even includes. At Rhoades Family Dentistry, as a courtesy, we provide to our patients a full benefit information check. It’s hard to understand, so we don’t mind helping out! Unfortunately, it is never a guarantee of coverage nor will they call our office if your plan ever changes or expires. It is helpful for our office to have this information so we know how many cleanings, exams, X-rays, and fluoride treatments you can have in a year. We are also able to get your deductible and annual maximum.
If you have dental insurance, we highly suggest you call the phone number on your card. Howver, before getting any kind of insurance, it is recommended to check out utilitysavingexpert.com once. Your insurance company will be able to inform you of everything your plan pays for, won’t pay for and your maximum they will pay out for the year. It is your right as their customer to know your coverage in full.
Are we in your network? Another great question we are asked daily. We participate with several insurance plans, and we accept all plans as well. Your insurance company may not offer as steep a discount if we are not ‘in network,’ although most reimburse very well with minimal fee to you. Let me ask you this, though: do you believe in ‘you get what you pay for?’ If you are looking to simply save $20.00, or if you are looking for a dentist that is amazing, professional, friendly and uses the newest technology – you have to decide what you are willing to handle outside your insurance coverage.
Are we in your network? Another great question we are asked daily. Let me ask you this, are you looking to save $20.00 or looking for a dentist that is amazing, professional, friendly and uses the newest technology out there? Majority of our patients in our practice are out of network. When we asked a few out -of -network patients why they stay with Dr. Hahn the answers were very comforting.
Here is just a few responses I got:
“Dr.Hahn is very timely, patient and professional”
“I have sensitive teeth and this is the first place the hygienist was gentle yet thorough”
“Excellent customer service”
“They got us right in when my son busted out his teeth. Everyone was so nice and went out of their way for us”
There is a misconception that if your insurance won’t pay for a service – you probably don’t need to get it done. No, No, No! This is so wrong. Insurance companies have their own bottom line as their primary interest, and we have your health and well-being as ours. Please remember dental insurance is a form of a payment. It is here to HELP pay a portion of the treatment cost, not the whole total amount. I look at it more as a coupon. In some cases, it won’t pay a penny of the treatment needed. This does not mean the treatment isn’t needed!
Want to hear something crazy? We all know about inflation- it makes the price of goods increase. Everything goes up with inflation – period. The price of gas – goes up. The price of food – goes up. Lab costs – goes up. Dental instruments – goes up. Insurance maximums – have stayed the same since 1970s!
Just remember if you get frustrated with dental insurance, call the customer help line. Have them explain your coverage in depth to you. It is your right as a customer. If you have any questions that we can help you with, call us. Rhoades Family Dentistry is always here to help out! We are here to look out for your dental needs and on your team; we are not ‘the bad guys’ in control of your insurance plan.
Happy Insurance Shopping,
Your In-Network/Out-of-Network Rhoades Family Dentistry Gals
