NORTHERN COLORADO PERIODONTICS
FAQ For Dental Insurance and Payment Plans
PAYMENT METHODS
Our goal is to help you obtain the periodontal and dental implant care you need. Our front desk has years of experience helping maximize insurance benefits and offering various dental care financing options so you can get the care that you deserve.
INSURANCE
As a courtesy, we are happy to estimate your insurance benefits and file your dental insurance claim for you with your insurer(s).
CHERRY
With Cherry payment plans, you can spread your payments over a period of 3 to 60 months, making it easier to afford the care you need now.
CREDIT CARD
For your convenience we accept Discover, MasterCard, VISA and American Express.
FLEX ACCOUNTS
HSA (HEALTH SAVINGS)
We accept Flexible spending account and Health Savings Account (HSA) debit/credit cards.
CARE CREDIT
We offer interest-free financing through Care Credit.
KEY BANK
We are now offering long-term financing through Key Bank's Latitude credit card program.
INSURANCE
As a courtesy, we are happy to estimate your insurance benefits and file your dental insurance claim for you with your insurer(s). We use an electronic insurance claims service to estimate your benefits as accurately as possible and as quickly as possible, often times on the same day as your initial appointment. We do request payment ahead of your treatment appointment. Insurance payment and coverage are dependent on your specific insurance plan. Please see our insurance FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section below.
FLEX ACCOUNTS AND HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (HSA)
We accept Flexible spending account and Health Savings Account (HSA) debit/credit cards. These types of accounts are a great option for payment in many cases. While most Flex and HSA accounts can be used for dental services, please check with your plan to verify eligibility.
CHERRY
With Cherry payment plans, you can spread your payments over a period of 3 to 60 months, making it easier to afford the care you need now. Our flexible options are designed to suit your budget, with the added convenience of auto-pay and 24/7 access to our self-serve patient portal. Enjoy a hassle-free experience with no hidden fees, no hard credit checks, and no paperwork. Click here to apply and learn more about Cherry payment plans.
CREDIT CARDS
For your convenience we accept Discover, MasterCard, VISA and American Express.
CARE CREDIT
We offer interest-free financing through Care Credit, which is a great option to help spread out payments for any portion of your needed care that your insurance will not cover. Click the button below to apply for CareCredit at Northern Colorado Periodontics.
KEY BANK
We are now offering long-term financing through Key Bank’s Latitude credit card program, which offers zero interest for 15 months and no retroactive interest. To learn more and apply, click the link below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Q: Do you take my dental insurance?
A: We work with all dental benefit plans that give you the freedom to choose your own dentist. We strongly believe that dental insurance should not dictate patient treatment nor should it limit patient freedom of choice. We do not participate in plans where patients are assigned to a dental office, often not by choice. Drs. Shumaker, Allen, and Sands want all our patients to receive the highest standard of care our profession can offer. Our team will do everything possible to help you understand and to get the most out of your insurance benefits. Our front desk team has years of experience in maximizing your insurance benefits, as well as other options, to help cover some or all of the costs of the dental care you need. We are on your side!
Q: If Northern Colorado Periodontics is not In-Network providers for my dental insurance, does this mean I cannot come to their office for care?
A: Definitely not! This is a common question. Most dental insurance will allow you to be seen and treated by an Out-of-network provider for a small co-payment of just a few dollars. Your annual maximum benefit of $1000-1500 still applies whether you go to a provider who is in-network or out-of-network. Your total annual benefit usually does not change. We recommend you check with your insurance to see what your Out-of-network benefits are. Keep in mind that insurance will often tell you that you should go to an in-network provider because the insurance company makes more profit when you do. However, if you specifically ask about what benefits your plan has for Out-of-Network providers, often you will find that the benefit is similar to in-network with only a small co-payment.
Q: What do I need to know about dental insurance?
A: Dealing with dental insurance can sometimes be frustrating. It is difficult to know exactly what is covered and what is not. Each company has several different plans under its dental insurance product line. Unlike medical insurance, which gives you a million-dollar or more lifetime maximum, most dental plans provide a small yearly allowance. The average allowance is $1,000-$1500. That amount helps patients secure some of the needed care but not all. There may be deductibles and co-insurance involved. Over the years, patient’s expectations and demand for dental services have increased, however, dental care covered by dental benefit plans is comparatively limited. When dental insurance plans first appeared in the early 1970’s, most plans had a yearly maximum of $1000-1500. Today, most plans still have an annual maximum of $1000-1500 with virtually no adjustment for inflation. Dental insurance is a contract between your employer and a dental insurance company. The benefits you receive from your policy are based on the terms of the contract negotiated between your employer and the dental insurance company. We have no say in this relationship and no say in the terms of your contract. In many instances, dental insurance provides only basic care and coverage for specific dental services.
Q: Who decides how much of a procedure fee is covered by my insurance?
A: You may have noticed that at times, your dental insurer reimburses you or the dentist at a lower rate than the dentist’s actual fee. Frequently, insurance companies state that the reimbursement was reduced because your dentist’s fee has exceeded the usual, customary, or reasonable fee (UCR) used by the company. A statement such as this gives the impression that any fee greater than the amount paid by the insurance company is unreasonable or well above what most dentists in the area charge for a certain service. This is simply not accurate. The term “UCR” is misleading and it is more accurate to call it the “insurance allowable fee” instead. Insurance companies set their own schedules and make up their own “insurance allowable fees” to ensure their own profitability. Most of them will not give out these fees to patients or dentists. Each company uses a different set of fees they consider the “allowable for the area. In most cases, the allowable fees are set about 30-50% below the actual industry standard for the local area, so that the insurance company can make a profit from the difference. In general, the less expensive insurance policies will use a lower “insurance allowable fee” schedule.
Q: What other alternatives are available to help me get the care I need?
A: Discover three flexible payment options for your dental care needs. The first payment option that our team offers is interest-free financing through Care Credit. This is a great option to help spread out payments for any portion of your needed care that your insurance will not cover. We’ve also partnered with Key Bank’s Latitude credit card program, providing long-term financing with zero interest for 15 months and no retroactive interest. Another great alternative to cover the costs of dental services is the use of your Flexible Spending or Health Savings Account (Flex plan or HSA). Dental healthcare is a qualified service that can be paid out of these types of plans in most cases. Please ask our treatment coordinators if you are interested in more information on any of these three payment options.