Boulder Dental Insurance | Not the Only Reason for Choosing a Dentist

The most common question we are asked when people call is “Do you take my insurance?”  The simple answer is we accept all major insurance coverage.  To be more specific, we are not in-network for most of those insurance companies.  What this means is that as long as you have out-of-network coverage (can see any provider without having to select one from a list) then you should be fine to come to our office and still get the benefits of your insurance.

An in-network dentist is contracted with that particular insurance company saying that the dentist agrees to a contracted fee and will write off the difference between their fee and the contracted fee.  An out-of-network dentist is not contracted with the insurance company so any difference between the doctor’s fee and the allowed amount is paid by the patient.  The difference in fee is often times insignificant.  Dr. Adler chooses not to be in-network for most insurance companies because he wants to provide the best care possible to his patients without feeling that the insurance company is dictating the type of treatment to be provided.  The main thing that people should look for in a dentist is the quality of care that is offered instead of whether or not they are in-network.  Although Dr. Adler is not in-network, he provides exceptional treatment and uses the highest quality materials and latest technology.  The cheapest treatment is the treatment that only needs to be done once because it was done right the first time.

By dealing with insurance companies on a daily basis, we understand that insurance companies can be extremely confusing and frustrating at times.  We do our best to pass our knowledge onto our patients but also strongly encourage people to become familiar with their own dental plans benefits and limitations.  In most cases, we bill your insurance for you and collect your estimated portion at the time of service.  We always stress estimated because the insurance companies do not provide us with the exact amount that they will pay until they actually pay unless we submit a pre-determination.  A pre-determination is a claim that asks the insurance company what they would pay if we were to do this exact procedure on this patient based upon the information provided.  The only issue with this is that the insurance company can take over a month to respond so it is not very practical, especially if the dental treatment you need is urgent.

As a courtesy to our patients, our team does their very best to check your dental benefits to give you the most accurate estimate possible.  Please understand though that this is done as a courtesy but that the insurance company is contracted with the patient and not the dental office so we are just acting as a middle man on the patient’s behalf.  Our front office staff dedicates a significant amount of time to following up on insurance claims, checking benefits, and providing estimates of coverage. We do this because we want to help our patients as much as possible. If there is ever a dispute with the insurance company, we will do what we can to help resolve the situation but don’t hesitate to call your insurance company directly because they are often more helpful to the patient then they are to the dental office since their contract is with you.  By understanding your policy you can help yourself to get the most benefits out of it.  So next time before asking if a doctor takes your insurance, ask yourself if that doctor will provide the quality of care that you are looking for and deserve.

Tags: dental insurance