Dental Insurance

If you have a traditional or PPO dental plan, you would get some benefit but we would be considered out of network. Dr. Widen will work with each of our guests to maximize their dental benefits available to them. Dr. Widen will base your treatment plan on the condition and health of your mouth, not by what insurance will cover. We will submit dental insurance forms for you so you receive the benefit you are entitled to; think of it as a rebate. Because there is such a discrepancy between the amounts insurance companies will pay for procedures, all services are paid for at the time services are performed or scheduled for larger procedures. We will help you get the most benefit due from your insurance company as quickly as possible. We file all claims that do not need an attachment electronically and we can see if the clearing house has received the claim instantly. Most claims are settled in 7-10 days.

What you need to know about your Dental Insurance!

Dental Benefits

Dental insurance is a contract between your employer and an insurance company. The benefits that you will receive are based on the terms of the contract that were negotiated between your employer and the dental insurance company, not your dental office. The goal of most dental insurance policies is to provide only basic care for specific dental services. The services selected are based on the cost of the policy to your employer and the negotiated arrangements with the insurance company. Because the benefits you currently have are decided between your employer and the insurance company, many services are not covered. The selection of non-covered services is not based on what you need or want, but is based strictly on the contract with the insurance company. Some of the services that you may need or want will not be covered by your dental insurer. Our goal is to help you achieve and maintain optimal dental care, which is not necessarily the goal of your dental insurance company. The goal of the insurance company is to provide only the negotiated benefits for the specifically selected services. For this reason, Dr. Widen is not a participating provider for any insurance company. We will work with our patients to help achieve optimum dental health while maximizing dental benefits. Your dental insurance company has a formula as to which benefits you will receive and the percentage of the dentist’s office fee that will be paid. Each dental insurance plan has a limited dollar amount each year. Once this limit is reached, no other services will be covered by your insurance company regardless how essential the service may be to your dental health. Our office will do everything possible to help you understand and make the most of your dental insurance benefits. We realize that dental insurance is complex and that it is extremely difficult to understand how to make it work. That is why we provide assistance to you.

Dental Forms

Our office will complete and submit dental insurance forms electronically to the company to achieve the maximum reimbursement to which you are entitled. We will work diligently to make this happen as quickly as possible. Please be aware that some dental insurance companies take longer than others to complete payment. If necessary, our office will contact the insurance company or we may request your help in this matter. Many insurance companies try to control the amount of dentistry you receive by requiring authorization for procedures in advance. Our office will do everything possible to help you maximize the insurance benefits to which you are entitled. In most cases, we can begin treatment prior to receiving an authorization from the insurance company. However, guests need to understand that in the event the insurance company refuses to pay for treatment, you are responsible for all fees. Naturally, we always provide you with the full fees in advance so that you know the exact cost of the treatment. Like you, we recognize that the pre-authorization process is often time consuming and unnecessary. Some services are typically not covered by dental insurance companies. These include: cosmetic dentistry, implants, occlusion or bite redesign, and other services. Although these are important dental services that can greatly enhance the quality of life of our guests, dental insurance companies do not feel that they should have to pay for these services. That is why these services are rarely included in contracts with your employer. Any time you have a question about your dental insurance, please feel free to ask us. Keep in mind that the dental insurance companies are not concerned about coverage for optimal dental care, but provide coverage for only a limited number of basic services. Our office remains dedicated to providing optimal care for every guest and working with you to achieve that goal. We pride ourselves on helping you in any way and in continuing to provide the quality of care to which you have become accustomed. Please let us know if you have any questions, it will be our pleasure to help you.