Welcome to the office of Dr. Mark Andrews. If you’re looking to enhance or completely transform your smile, you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Andrews is committed to providing each patient with the highest level of dentistry and customer service.
Throughout his career, Dr. Andrews has made it his mission to provide the highest level of care and service to his patients. Because he is a perfectionist, Dr. Andrews always displays unfailing attention to detail while performing techniques that are supported by the best clinical research.
Dr. Andrews and his staff are committed to producing long-lasting, beautiful, natural-looking results.
Enjoy a dental experience unlike any other by visiting our office today.
With so many different dental insurance plans available, it can be difficult to understand yours. While our office will submit your claim to your insurance company, it’s important to remember that you, our patient, are our first priority. If you need help understanding your dental insurance coverage, it’s best to ask your insurance administrator, though our office staff can often answer some common questions that are not specific to one plan. Here is some of the dental insurance terminology that might help you as you investigate what your plan covers.
Deductible
Many dental insurance companies assess a yearly deductible, much like your health insurance might. This is the amount that you need to pay the dentist before your insurance will begin covering services. Read the fine print; in some cases, the deductible applies to preventative services (cleanings and routine exams), while in other cases, preventative services are covered before you pay the deductible.
Maximum
Many, though not all, insurance companies also have a maximum dollar amount that they will pay in any calendar year. If it’s getting toward the end of the year and you have a lot of dental work that needs to be done, you should look into how much of your maximum has been used already to help you budget for your out-of-pocket expense.
UCR
Your dental insurance company will have a UCR, or “usual, reasonable and customary,” fee assigned to each procedure code. Unfortunately, in some cases, this fee is not actually what any dental offices in the area would charge; insurance companies use algorithms that might or might not line up with what is being charged in various areas of the country. If you call your insurance company with the procedure codes, they should be able to tell you what the UCR fee is. You can then figure out the difference (if any) between the UCR and your dental office’s fee.
In-Network Providers
Some plans have a list of providers that are in-network. This means that they have agreed to negotiate prices and procedures with the company. In most cases, you can go outside of the network, but you would have to pay a higher percentage of the charged fees. On some plans, you must see dentists who are in network in order to use your benefits.
It’s important to remember that your dentist works for you, not your insurance company. While many times, dental health benefits will cover most basic procedures, if you need extensive work done, it’s likely that you will have an out-of-pocket expense. Talk to your insurance company or your employer if you don’t understand your plan.
