Dental Insurance

October brings with it beautiful fall weather as well as insurance open enrollment options. If you are fortunate enough to have an employer based dental insurance plan, reviewing and making sense of these options can often be overwhelming. We are here to help clarify your insurance decisions.
The most important thing to be aware of when reviewing your insurance information: Is this a Premiere, PPO or an HMO/DMO policy? A Premiere policy allows you to visit any office and receive benefits there with LESS out of pocket expense to you as the patient. A PPO plan also reduces your out of pocket expense as long as you are seen at an office that is part of the PPO network, you also are able to be seen at an unnetworked office but may have a minimal additional out of pocket expense. An HMO/DMO policy means you will be assigned to a specific dentist or office and can only receive coverage there for the entire benefit year. We are not networked with any HMO/DMO plans; that option would sadly mean you would pay for your dental care out of pocket. The good news: We are in network with many premiere dental insurance companies and several PPO companies.
Coverage details beyond this can vary greatly. Things you may need to consider are; your yearly maximum and deductible, and the percentage of each service that is covered. Some insurance plans also have waiting periods in which you will not have access to your full benefits for a designated amount of time. Because the details are so different for every insurance company and every employer, we would encourage you to call or stop in and talk with our educated front desk staff. They are happy to help you determine the best benefits to cover your dental needs.
This is also the time of year to consider utilizing any remaining calendar year insurance benefit that you may have. In most cases any unused portion of your benefit is lost at the end of the benefit year. If you are due for a dental cleaning and exam, or have dental work that has been recommended but not completed, give our office a call and we will be happy to schedule a time that is convenient!