YES, finally an answer to get some of that dental work done that you didn’t have the money to invest in your mouth or to upgrade some of your current dental work! Many of our patients have been pleasantly surprised when we have asked them for their medical insurance cards at their last visit. We have invested a lot of time, energy, and continuing education hours learning how we can file your Medical Insurance while visiting the dental office. Now, it is not the answer for everyone’s financial worries when it comes to paying for that dental work that has been long neglected. But, your medical insurance will pay for many of the things that we have been filing for your dental insurance—like exams, x-rays, CT Scans, some oral surgery, implants, sleep apnea appliances, and TMJ treatment. Anything that can be filed on medical then frees up that small amount of your yearly dental maximums that may be holding you back from getting that filling or crown you needed. Those people who have multiple missing teeth may now be able to afford , with the help from medical insurance, dental implants that you do not have to take in and out of your mouth instead of that aggravating partial or full denture. For those of you who have Sleep Apnea and wear a CPAP, you medical insurance could pay for a dental appliance that can eliminate your sleep apnea without the hassle of wearing and cleaning those CPAP masks.
How can that be legal? How can my dentist file medical insurance? First off, if you read your booklet, medical insurance will pay for “any treatment that meets the criteria of the plan that is performed by any professional who is legally qualified to perform the procedure.” Your medical insurance pays for a lot of things not performed by a person who went to medical school. The most common would be chiropractors who never attended medical school but graduated from Chiropractic school. The same for Podiatrists, Optometrists, Psychologists, Physical Therapists, Respiratory Therapists, Acupuncturists, and so on. Dentistry is no different! Procedures that are within the scope of dentistry that meet the requirements of “Medical Necessity” are payable to dentists.
So, the next time you visit Carlyle Dental, don’t be surprised if they ask you for a copy of your medical card at check in. It may very well help you afford the treatment you have been waiting to get done!