Do You Have Questions About Dental Insurance or Finances?
We Have Answers!
At High River Dental Centre we always strive to create open and honest communication with our patients about dental insurance and finances. Since the purpose of dental insurance is to help patients cover some or all of the costs associated with their dental care. At High River Dental, we are pleased to offer our patients the convenience of direct billing to most insurance plans. Please keep in mind that not all plans are the same, and it is important for you to familiarize yourself with your specific plan details.
Please note that the average dental plan may cover some, but not all of the cost of your required dental care. The dental fees we charge for our services are the usual and customary fees charged to all our patients, regardless if you have dental insurance or not. Your specific policy may base its eligible fee on a fixed fee schedule, which may or may not coincide with our usual fees. In some cases, there may be a difference in fees charged, after the insurance company reimburses our office. This discrepancy in fees is your responsibility and will be invoiced to you.
At High River Dental, we would like to help you maximize your dental insurance benefits — please bring a copy of your plan details for us to help you get the most out of your dental insurance and for us to provide you with accurate estimates for your treatment.
Our Payment Methods
At High River Dental Centre, we require payment for your estimated or exact patient portion on the day of service. For your convenience, we offer several payment options:
- Cash
- Credit Card: Visa, MasterCard & American Express
- Interac Direct Payment
- Direct Billing (also known as assignment of benefits)
- Email Transfers
Q) Do you offer direct billing?
A) High River Dental offers direct billing as long as the policyholder’s Benefit Provider will allow us. In some cases, the assignment of benefits will not be permitted due to the balance on account issues. Also, there are a few policies that will not permit the benefits to be assigned to the dental office and will only forward payment to the patient; we require payment at the time of treatment in these instances.
Q) What costs will my insurance company cover?
A) Unfortunately, we are unable to know exactly what every patient’s dental benefits will pay. We will do our best to provide you with an estimated patient portion, but it is the responsibility of the patient to know the details of their insurance plan and to inform us when changes occur to the plan, what is covered by the policy and who is covered under the policy.
Please be aware that due to privacy laws, we are not able to access information on your behalf from your insurance provider. It is helpful if you have a booklet or form with these details to bring to your appointment.
Q) What factors do you consider when providing an estimate for treatment?
A) Estimates for your treatment are based on the most recent information we have on file. If you’re concerned about exactly what costs you’ll be responsible for, simply ask about our ‘Pre-Determination.’
Q) What is a ‘Pre-Determination’?
A) A Pre-Determination provides you with the exact cost of the treatment. Upon request, we will submit this information to your insurance provider before completing any treatment. While this may delay your treatment, you will know exactly what (if any) out-of-pocket costs you may be required to pay.
Q) What payment options are available to me?
A) We require payment in full for your patient portion at the time of treatment. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Cash, Interac (Debit) or Email Transfers.
Q) What is the best way to budget for my treatment?
A) We’re happy to put together a detailed treatment plan with the associated costs clearly outlined so that you can budget for each appointment accordingly. We can also prioritize treatments so that you can attend to the most urgent treatments right away and then plan further treatments over time.
Q) My dental insurance said it pays 100% for my dental treatments: why do I still owe you money?
A) We hear this question often. Usually, the patient has looked at his EOB (explanation of benefits statement) which tells you what the provider paid, or they check their plan booklet and sees that the fee charged by the dentist exceeds the fee guide amount set by the Benefit Provider. The problem is that the fee covered by the provider is whatever has been negotiated between your employer and the Benefit Provider, and is directly dependent upon the premium paid for your specific benefit policy. That is why the coverage can vary even between the employees of the same company or other patients covered by the same Benefit Provider.
Learn More about Dental Insurance and Finances at High River Dental
If you have any questions about dental insurance and finances or our payment methods, please call us at (403) 652-2182!
If you are looking for a High River Dentist,
our practice always welcomes new patients – no referral is required!
