Dental Insurance

DENTAL INSURANCE:
We strive to assist you with obtaining your full benefits due under your dental insurance plan (s). We submit electronically (or by paper those few type of claims that are required to be mailed) all primary claims for you. We will provide you with a printed secondary insurance claim form already filled out if one is needed by you. We will provide your insurance carrier with any copies of radiographs they may request and will submit all material on a timely basis in order to expedite the processing of your claim. Please understand that once we send in your claim to your carrier, we cannot control the speed by which it is settled. Nearly all of our claims are sent electronically so the carrier has them the same day. Electronic claims are typically settled in just a few days while the mailed in claims can take a bit longer. If you have not received reimbursement in a timely manner, please contact our office and we will be happy to assist you where we can.


Dental insurance policies are of great assistance to many of our patients and facilitate them in receiving dental care. However, they can be complex and frustrating at times. Please understand we want you to receive your full potential benefit. Sometimes we need certain information from you in order to obtain your benefits. The sooner you provide us the needed information, the sooner we can assist you.

PARTICIPATION:
We will accept assignment of benefits from any insurance carrier that will allow their benefits to be assigned.  We do not participate with UCCI, Delta Dental or any other dental insurance carrier. However, we have about well over 2,000 patients with UCCI or Delta that we see for care and get their full dental benefits reimbursed under their dental insurance plan.  This is something that we assist our patients with nearly every day. Delta Dental PA typically does not allow for assignment of benefits nor does UCCI.  In all the other 49 US states, UCCI will assign benefits to any licensed dental care provider if requested by the patient.   However, only in PA will UCCI not assign benefits as you may request. Because of this action by UCCI and Delta PA, they will not send insurance reimbursement payments directly to our office.  Delta PA and UCCI will only send reimbursements to the plan subscriber.

  I realize this non-assignment may cause a challenge for some patients but if I were to enter into a participating status with an insurance carrier, I would be subject to multiple contractual elements that I feel intrude into patient choice and doctor/patient relationship. I will always offer and explain all treatment options, not just the ones your carrier may want me to provide. There is pending legislation in PA to require universal assignment of benefits (as is currently the law in most US states). Hopefully, this will pass soon and the rights/choices of the patients will finally be realized in PA.

CLAIMS SUBMISSION:
To assist you in quickly obtaining the benefits to which you are entitled, our office  will electronically file your primary dental care claims (and mail those type of claims that require mailing).  If electronically, your dental insurance carrier, including UCCI or Delta Dental PA, will then have your dental care claim in their system the next day for processing. Typically,  a reimbursement check is received in around 10 business days for electronically submitted claims.  Mailed claims may take a bit longer to process depending upon the carrier.  


PAYMENTS: 
Payment for care for patients who are uninsured as well as care that will not be covered by your dental insurance plan is due at the time of service.  We will accept assignment of benefits from any insurance carrier that will allow their benefits to be assigned to this office.  If your dental insurance plan does not allow for the assignment of your dental benefits, then you will be expected to pay in full for all care at the time of service and we will submit the claim to your carrier.  Your carrier will then send the reimbursement check directly to you. To assist those who must wait for their reimbursement funds, we accept all major credit cards as well as personal check or cash.  For electronically filed claims, most UCCI and Delta Dental covered patients pay by credit and get their reimbursement check prior to ever receiving their credit card bill.  If you have any billing questions, please ask prior to care is provided to ensure you have all the needed information for your personal care.