Insurance Information for periodontal treatment

We’ll Help You Navigate Your Dental Insurance

Our Marlton & Turnersville NJ Periodontal Team Wants You to Get the Treatment You Need

Dr. Childers will always recommend the best treatment for your oral health needs, regardless of your insurance coverage. As a doctor, he is genuinely concerned with your optimal oral health. The actual cost of treatment varies widely depending on the procedures. We make every effort to present you with the best and most conservative dental solution possible for your individual needs. We are committed to provide you with improved oral health and function, and a better smile, all with financial payment options and plans personalized for your individual situation.

Excellent dental care is available with or without dental benefits. We provide professional care to you, our patient. Therefore, the insurance company is responsible to you, and you, the patient, are responsible to the doctor. Our team will help in every way possible in filing your claim and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf. Here are a few things you should know:

• Your dental benefits are based upon a contract made between your employer and an insurance company.
• Dental benefits differ greatly from medical benefits. In 1959, most dental benefit plans had a yearly maximum cap of $1000. Today the average dental benefit plan has a yearly maximum cap of $1000. There has been no significant changes to dental plan benefits in the past 40 years. However, there have been significant increases in your premiums. Dental benefit plans will never pay for completion of your dental care, but instead, is meant to assist you.
• Many people receive notification from their insurance company that dental fees are “above the usual and customary”. An insurance company determines their reimbursement level by surveying a geographical area, calculating the average fee, and then determines that 80% of the average fee is customary. Included in this survey are discount dental clinics and managed care facilities, which have severely reduced dental fees that bring down the average. Any doctor in private practice will have fees that insurance companies define as “higher than usual and customary”.
• Many dental benefit plans tell their participants that they will be covered “up to 80% or 100%” but do not clearly specify the plan fee schedule allowance, annual maximum or limitations. It is more realistic to expect dental benefit plans to cover 40% to 60% of dental services. Remember that the amount a plan reimburses is determined by how much your employer has paid for your dental benefit plan. You will get back only what your employer has put in, less the insurance company’s profit margin.
• There is usually a deductible, which applies to certain dental procedures. This must be met before any benefit will be paid. These plans usually also include riders (clauses) excluding certain treatments from consideration for benefits and restricting the frequency of other treatments.
• Insurance companies DO NOT recognize many routine and newer dental services.

Our team members will gladly assist you in filling out the necessary forms to maximize your dental benefits and discuss your financial options. Our financial policy allows us to provide you with the best treatment available and does not limit your oral health care to just what your plan covers. Although your insurance may assist you with partial payment of your treatment, the estimated portion, which is not covered, is due when services are rendered. Please inform our office of any changes regarding your insurance coverage. We may recommend phased treatment and/or financing. If you have any questions regarding our policy, please do not hesitate to ask. Our team has over 10 years experience in persuading insurance carriers to provide the benefits our patients deserve. For your convenience, we accept cash, check, Visa and MasterCard. Third-party financing is also available to qualified applicants through CareCredit or Capital One.