Dental Insurance and Payment Options
Financing Your Care
Dr. Wakasa and Dr. Carlsmith are not in-network with any insurance companies but we accept and submit claims to ALL insurances.
Payment options:
Cash or Check: Always accepted.
Credit Card: Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
Please note: Payment is due at the time of service.
As a courtesy to you, we will bill your insurance company and track claims. Please keep us informed of any changes to your insurance plan. You are responsible for the fees charged by our office, no matter what your insurance coverage may be. Most insurance companies should respond to the claim within four to six weeks. Any remaining cost is your responsibility.
INSURANCE FAQ’S
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Can I still see you as my Dentist? Will there still be coverage? Yes, and yes! We will just be considered an “Out-of-Network Provider” as we have been for many of our non-Delta Dental insured patients for years. Rest assured there will still be coverage.
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Will there be a difference between how much I pay you and how much I am getting reimbursed from my Delta Dental? How much coverage will I have? There might be. Finding out how much coverage you’ll have for seeing a provider that is “out-of-network” is a question for Delta. Delta Dental of California’s number is 1(888)335-8227. If you have Delta Dental of another state or a different insurance entirely, please reference the number on the back of your insurance card.
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Will you still process the paperwork for claims? Yes! We will submit all claims and do the paperwork for you. Insurance claims are typically submitted electronically within a day of treatment. (Please note: You may receive a letter from Delta Dental saying that you will have to do all the paperwork. This is simply untrue! We are still able to submit all claims for you- regardless of insurance company.)
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What will change?
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Delta Dental requires that they send the benefit payment check to you directly. This means we will require payment in full at the time of service and Delta Dental will reimburse you in 14-21 days.
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As an out-of-network provider, they will change some of the reimbursement rates. For some, the change will be negligible. Delta has a policy of not providing offices with reimbursement information to an out-of-network dentist. If they did, we would have been happy to help you. They will speak and give information to YOU only.
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Does this mean my cost will automatically increase? Not necessarily. Although it is true that employers are shifting more dental costs to their employees, it does depend on the type of Delta Dental plan your employer chose for you.
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Are there better plans available? We answer this with some hesitation as the dental insurance industry changes rapidly. If you have a human resource (HR) department, we encourage you to contact them to discuss your options for the most effective benefit plans for your family. We will be considered out-of-network to all insurance companies. As long as you have a PPO plan, you will be able to use your benefits at our office. Those that have HMO or DMO plans will need to see the specific provider that was assigned to them.
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Why are you dropping your contract with Delta Dental? Delta Dental is the largest dental insurance provider. They have used that position to make significant policy changes to the types and amounts of procedures that they will cover. This is both limiting and frustrating as a clinician looking to provide comprehensive, conservative, individualized care. Instead of compromising our patient care and limiting your choices as a patient, we decided to focus on our commitment to take care of you by providing the best individualized and preventive care possible.
We are here to help! Please call for more information about financing your oral health needs in our office!