| Insurance is usually one of two types:
1 - an individual policy that you purchased from an insurance company,
2 - a group plan in which you participate with others and that was purchased by someone else - usually your employer.
For an individual policy, you are the one who negotiates the policy and who decides how much you want to spend and what services you get in return for your premiums.For a group plan, your employer negotiates for the insurance and decides how much the company wants to spend and what services will be included for the cost of the policy. There may be several options from which to chose as the employee with different benefits and costs per option.What many patients don't realize is that the dental office has no input into any of these matters. The accepted "Standard of Care" determines what we recommend to the patient as treatment and fees are generally uniform within a given area. Your insurance is strictly between you, your employer and the insurance company. We report to the insurance company what treatment we recommend or perform as a service to you and that allows you to receive the benefits that you pay to receive. It is illegal for us to manipulate or inaccurately report treatment to your insurance company.There is usually more than one type of treatment that can correct dental problems. You may be given options whenever we offer a treatment plan to you. Some of our suggestions may be covered by your insurance and some may not. We try our best to understand what your policy offers and does not offer, but ultimately you are responsible for knowing what you have purchased and when all is done, you are responsible for the cost of your dental care.
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