5 Tips to Help You Understand Your PPO Dental Insurance If you have PPO dental insurance, you may have made several attempts at understanding your benefits and somewhere among the terms “in/out-of-network”, “deductible”, “copay”, “out of pocket maximum” things get a little hairy. Here’s some tips to help deal with the nonsense.
1. The best way to find a dentist being able to take full advantage of your benefits, search for one using your insurance online member login. For example, to find a local Ellicott City dentist, 21043 or 21042 are the zip codes to use for your search. A top Howard
County dentist is likely to be in-network with most large insurance plans but many do not participate with any insurance at all, so it’s worth checking ahead of time! 2. Always read your EOBs – Explanation of Benefits – which you receive from your insurance after receiving any service with a dentist. Just because it says “not a bill”, it does not mean it’s not important to read! These EOBs very clearly explain your coverage and your out-of-pocket cost. 3. Keep in mind that dental coverage does not work the same way as medical – not even close! Get to know your coverage well by contacting your insurance or HR department. 4. Keep in mind that you are the paying member of your insurance and therefore their customer. Your dental office has very little to do with how your insurance decides to pay for treatment. If anything feels unfair, be sure to dispute with your insurance carrier rather than your dentist.