Insurance

Our fees are determined by the time spent, the materials used, the complexity of the procedure and the laboratory costs when work must be sent to the lab. Every effort is being made to keep down the cost of dental care. You can help us by paying at the time of your visit. If treatment will require several visits, you will be given an estimate and asked to make specific payment arrangements. If you pay with cash or check at the time of service, you are eligible for a 5% professional courtesy on preventative and restorative procedures for treatments exceeding $750. Remember that even when you have insurance coverage, you are responsible for the payment of your account. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask for more information about our fees.

If you have any questions about your insurance plan or payment options, please call Kelly, Jill or Linda at (231) 946-0207 or
e-mail us at info@harborsidedental.com.

We will be happy to assist you in the processing of your insurance claims. To do this, you will need to provide us with your company's dental insurance form. Please complete your portion of the form before your appointment, so that we will have the essential information to process your claim. Remember that no insurance company covers the entire cost of dental treatment. Some pay fixed allowances for certain procedures; others pay a percentage of the charge.

Any questions about insurance should be discussed with our financial coordinator. We strive to help you receive the maximum benefits available under your policy, but please remember that the relationship is between you and your insurance company, and you are responsible for payment.

Facts About Dental Insurance:

As an optimal-care dental practice, we strongly believe our patients, deserve the best possible dental care available today with the newest technologies and new materials. In an effort to maintain a high quality of care, we would like to share some facts about dental insurance with you.

Dental insurance is based upon a contract between the patient's employer and the insurance company. Should questions arise regarding dental insurance benefits, it is best for the patient to contact their employer or insurance company directly.

Dental insurance benefits differ greatly from general health insurance benefits. In 1971, dental insurance benefits were approximately $1000 per year. Figuring a 6% rate of inflation a patient should be receiving $4,549 per year in dental benefits. Premiums have increased, but benefits have not. Dental insurance is never a pay-all, it is only an aid.

When notification is received from an insurance company stating that dental fees are "higher than usual and customary", an insurance company surveys a geographic area, calculates an AVERAGE fee, takes 80% of that fee and considers it customary. Included in this survey are discount clinics and managed-care facilities, which bring down the average. The fee-for-service dentist in private practice will have fees that insurance companies define as higher than "usual and customary". Our practice is a high quality practice, offering the very best in dental services available. We are not a "cut-rate" practice; rather we offer comprehensive dentistry for the patient who wants to keep their teeth in a optimum state of a lifetime.

There have been tremendous advances in the last ten years in the way dentistry is performed. Insurance companies continue to promote and therefore cover out-dated and unhealthy ways of restoring teeth while rejecting many of the newer, healthier and long-lasting materials and methods used to restore teeth. We have made a concerted effort to adopt and use the newest and best materials and technologies available.

Many plans tell their participants they will be covered up to 80% or up to 100%" but do not clearly specify the plant fee-schedule allowances, annual maximums or limitations. It is more realistic to expect dental insurance to cover 35% to 65% of major services. Remember, the amount a plan pays is determined solely by how much the employer paid for the plan. The patient gets back only what the employer puts in, less the profits of the insurance company. Remember, the goal of the insurance companies is NOT to help the patient obtain the best quality of dentistry. Their mission and goal is to garner profit for the insurance company stockholders.

Every insurance company pays varying amounts, depending on the plan sold to the employer. Had we agreed to accept "assignment" from companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Delta Dental, we would have to accept what that insurance deems to be a "reasonable & customary" fee. This means we would be charging different fees for our patients with Blue Cross or Delta Dental and making our patients who have no insurance pay a non-discounted fee. We believe this is discriminatory practice and very unfair to our patients who do not have insurance. We want to treat all of our patients equally which is why we do not accept assignments (payments) from any company.

© Copyright 2002- Dental WebSmith, Inc. and Stephen E. Kozelko, D.D.S., P.C. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: The information provided within is intended to help you better understand dental conditions and procedures. It is not meant to serve as delivery of medical or dental care. If you have specific questions or concerns, contact your health care provider.