Do You Have Questions about Dental Insurance?
We Have Answers!
Some of the most common questions we receive are in regard to dental insurance and finances. Dental insurance is used to help patients cover some or all of the cost of their dental care. Oakridge Crossing Dental is pleased to offer the convenience of direct billing to most insurance plans. Please keep in mind that not all plans are the same, and it is essential 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 Oakridge Crossing 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.
Payment Methods
At Oakridge Crossing Dental, 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 the assignment of benefits)
- Payment Plans
Q) Do you offer direct insurance submission?
A) We are pleased to offer direct insurance submission as long as the policyholders Benefit Provider will allow us to.
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 the 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 an estimated of what (if any) out-of-pocket costs you may be required to pay. We ask that you, please provide us with your estimate so that we can help you understand your treatment coverage.
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, and Interac (Debit). We also offer financing options; please
contact us to learn more.
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 among the employees of the same company or other patients covered by the same Benefit Provider. If you have any questions about dental insurance or our payment methods, please call us at
(403) 475-9800!
If you have any questions about dental insurance or our payment methods, please contact us, we are always happy to help answer your questions about dental insurance and finances.
We also offer extended hours on Tuesday’s & Wednesday’s for your family’s convenience.
