Why Aren't You a Preferred Provider?

Continued.

To become a preferred provider for an insurance company means that we have to agree to the fees that they set for us. These fees are often based on maintaining a profit for the shareholders of the insurance company, not on the actual cost of providing dental care. The insurance companies also have to keep their plans low cost to the businesses that offer them to their employees, and to do that, they have to provide reimbursements low enough to maintain a profit after paying for care. They only need to keep enough dental offices in network in a given area that they can still promote their network to the HR executives that decide what plan your employer has.

By staying independent, we are able set our prices based on what it costs to provide a high quality of care to our patients. We invest in updated technology, continuing education, and excellent team members to ensure that we deliver the best possible dental services over the long haul. We also use quality labs and materials to create durable and aesthetic restorations for our patients. We do not compromise on quality, because we believe that our patients deserve the best.

How would being a preferred provider affect the care that we provide? Well, to accept the reduced fees that the insurance companies offer, we would have to be very efficient to provide care at lower rates. This means that we would have to schedule procedures for less time, bill for every billable procedure, look for multiple treatments that can be done at the same time to increase productivity, reduce the overhead of equipment, employees, labs, and materials, stricter cancellation fees, and so on. It can be very difficult to practice patient-focused care while also being efficient enough to accept the reduced fees.

We are not saying that all preferred providers are bad, or that they do not care about their patients. We are sure that there are many excellent dentists who are in network with various insurance companies, and do their best to provide quality care within the constraints of the system. However, we have chosen to remain out of network with certain providers because we believe that it gives us more freedom and flexibility to tailor our services to the individual needs and preferences of our patients, without being constrained by the rules and regulations of the insurance companies.

We hope that this explanation helps you understand why we are not a preferred provider for your insurance. We also hope that you will still consider us as your dental care provider, because we value you as a patient and we want to help you achieve and maintain a healthy and beautiful smile. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Much of the time we can let you know if your insurance provider will let us file with them and if they will pay to us before you come in. Please call us at (770) 762-6401 with any inquiries you may have.