Are you surprised or frustrated with low dental insurance coverage or payments?
Dental insurance has been part of the dental healthcare industry now for decades. However, since the decline in our economy we have seen a dramatic increase of “Limited Dental Benefit Plans” being sold by many companies and just about all traditional dental insurance companies.
What is a limited dental benefits plan?
There is a growing proliferation of new insurance products or “Limited Dental Benefit Plans.” These plans can be purchased by individuals, companies or employers on behalf of their employees. They are typically purchased at lower to substantially lower premium costs. Unfortunately, most people and/or companies do not realize the significant limitations found within the contracts and fine print of these plans until they try to use it to cover payment for needed dental procedures. These plans typically have considerably lower payment schedules, multiple fee limitations, procedure limitations, payment limitations, contractual limitations, coverage limitations, alternative benefits clauses (payment downgrades), treatment frequency limitations and often many other limitations seemingly hidden within the contract policy. Patients are often frustrated and surprised to find that their “Dental Insurance” is nothing like what they expected and has ridiculously low payment schedules. Typically, this means that you do not have traditional comprehensive dental insurance but you have one of the now numerous “Limited Dental Benefits Plans.”
What can you do?
Ask us about your plan, we will share as much information as we can to help you make an informed decision about your choices. Ask our office about other options. If you are paying for your dental coverage/insurance plan yourself, you may need to carefully look at the money you are paying out each month (or year) in premiums versus the actual payment (reimbursement) your plan will make towards your dental care. Unfortunately, it seems like too many times patients feel that their insurance or plan is really not worth the money that they are paying in premiums. Remember, to insurance companies, this is a numbers game. They need to take in as much money as possible in premiums as a business and pay out as little money as possible to be more profitable. Insurance companies are only obligated by the fine print of the actual written contract as to their payment obligations. All too often, it seems like this “fine print” may not be obvious when the insurance or plan is purchased.
Our office can help!
Our office is in the business of caring for people. We are legally, morally and ethically bound to care for each one of our patients dental health. We try to discuss all procedures and alternatives so that each patient will understand their treatment options and we are happy to discuss payment options, insurance or plan options and any other matter that you may be concerned with relating to your dental care. If your insurance reimbursement seems excessively low, you may want to look at your options for changing insurance plans (upgrading your insurance) or deciding whether or not the plan you have is even worth keeping at all. There are literally hundreds, maybe even thousands, of plans out there now. It seems that lately far too many of these have very limited benefits and low payment schedules.