We are happy to file our patient's primary dental insurance, however there are several things we like for you to know. 1. We do not participate in any PPO's. We are not on anyone's list of dental providers. Why? Simply because we have not found that "preferred provider dentistry" blends well with our practice of giving personalized dental care to each patient. 2. Your dental insurance is based upon a contract made between your employer and your insurance company. We are not responsible for how your insurance company pays. Any amounts not paid by insurance should be paid to us by the patient. Should questions arise regarding your dental insurance benefits, it is best for you to contact your employer or insurance company. 3. Dental insurance plans rarely pay 100%. They should be considered a help, not expected to pay the entire amount. Many routine dental services are not covered at all by insurance companies. 4. UCR, or "Ususal, Customary, Routine" is a term that insurance companies use to determine how much they will pay for a procedure. What any insurance company considered usual and customary varies. How do insurance companies come up with UCR? Many survey a geographic area, calculate an average fee, and may take 70 - 90% of that fee and consider it customary. Included in this survey are discount dental clinics and managed care facilities which bring down the average. Any doctor in private practice may have fees that insurance companies define as higher than "usual and customary". Typically, our prices fall within UCR in most of the insurance contracts we file for our patients. 5. Insurance companies are not bound by price quotes that they give to you or to our office over the phone or even in writing. We will not know for sure what they will pay until the reimbursement check is received. 6. Most importantly, our office does not base your dental health plan on what insurance will or will not pay. We diagnose a treatment that is specifically designed for your best dental health. Then, we will file your dental insurance to the best of our ability. However, in the long run, the diagnosis is based on what our dental professionals believe is best for you--not what a board of insurance adjusters in another state may think is best for you. 7. The patient is ultimately responsible for all dental costs incurred. The patient is also the one who experiences the benefits of a lifetime of good dental health.