Who checks with the insurance company

If I need a dental procedure, is the dentist’s office responsible for finding out if my insurance will cover it or am I?

Elizabeth B.- Long Island, NY

Elizabeth,

How this works will depend on the dental office you go to for your care. Some dental offices don’t accept dental insurance, because they prefer to set their own fees. In that case, the patient is responsible for all of the cost and generally it is paid upfront.

With dentists that do accept insurance, many times the office will help you in knowing how much the insurance will cover and how much you will be responsible for.  Your insurance will not cover everything, so you will have a portion to pay. The amount they estimate for you before insurance is just that–an estimate. If the amount ends up being more, because the insurance paid less than expected, that is still your responsibility.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Brandon Schmidt.