INSURANCE
DENTAL INSURANCES ACCEPTED
Types of dental insurance
Dental Insurance in the 2000's comes in three basic types, each differing in the availability of providers and the form of payment to the provider.
Indemnity Plans: These plans are the traditional dental insurance plans which have been available since the 1950's. Patients can usually go to the dentist of their choice, and the dentist is paid only for the services provided; therefore, the patient has complete control of the treatment plan. The dentist provider ends up being paid the UCR (usual, customary, and reasonable) fee or a percentage of the UCR fee, with the patient paying the co-payment, or the portion of the fee not paid by the insurance company. These plans usually have the best benefits and cover the largest range of dental services
Preferred Provider Plans (PPO): These plans feature a contract between the insurance company and the dentist provider to provide specific dental services. The fee paid to the dentist provider is usually lower than the UCR fee, and the patient may or may not have co-payments. The choice of dentist providers is limited to those providers who actually sign a contract, and many times specific services may be "downgraded" because of the benefits offered.
Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMO): These plans mimic medical HMO's in that the services are prepaid. Patients have specific benefits which can be performed during the period the patient is covered under the DHMO. Co-payments may or may not be paid to the dentist provider. Traditionally this type of dental plan has the fewest number of covered services and the most restricted number of dentist providers.
Choosing a dental insurance plan
It can sometimes be difficult to choose a dental insurance plan for yourself and your family. Factors include the following: The range of dental benfits desired, the providers available, the fees or the percentages of the fees covered by the insurance, the deductible, the maximum benefit per benefit year, and the waiting periods--if any-- for specific services. Another consideration about PPO's: Many of them will allow the patient to visit the dentist of his choice and although there is no contract, the insurance company will pay the non-preferred dentist provider from a table of allowances.
Dental Insurance Benefits in Our Practice
Our practice accepts all indemnity plans offered and certain PPO's. We can tell you if the services we provide are covered --if you can give us the name and policy number of your dental insurance policy. Also, we can pre-authorize your dental treatment plan, so that you would know exactly what your co-payment would be. We have found this to be the best method so the patient can be aware before treatment what his/her co-payment would be.
WE ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING INSURANCES:
Adventist Health System
AFLAC
Aetna Life Insurance Company
Aetna PHC
Ameritas Life Insurance
Blue Cross of California
Carpenters Health and Welfare Insurance Company
Cass Construction
Children's Hospital and Health Center
CIGNA Healthcare Benefits
County of San Diego Department of Human Resources
Delta Dental Plan of California
Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota
Delta Dental Plan of Missouri
Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey
Delta Dental Plan of Tennessee
Delta Dental Plan of Virginia
Employers Health Insurance
Fortis Benefits Insurance Company
Foundation Health Systems
GE Group Administrators
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company
Guardian
International Paper EBRA
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Principal Life Insurance Company
RETA Trust
Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Services
San Diego Hospital Association
San Diego Unified School District
Scripps Health
Sheet Metal Workers Plan
Southern California Drug Benefit Fund
Standard Insurance Company
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
The Guardian Life Insurance Company
The Plan Handlers
The St. Paul Insurance Company
Trigon Insurance Company
UFCW Unions and Food Employers
Unicare Life and Health Insurance Company
United Concordia
Washington Dental Service
West Coast Administrators
West Teamsters Welfare Trust
PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOUR INSURANCE IS NOT LISTED TO LEARN MORE
