Making the Most of Your Dental Benefits
At Willow Tree Dental, we help you use your dental benefits wisely so you can make informed decisions about your care.
We accept most PPO plans and file claims as a courtesy.
We are not in-network with HMO, DHMO, Medicaid, or traditional Medicare plans, and those benefits are typically not usable in our office. Patients with these plans are always welcome to be seen as self-pay patients.
Understanding Your Coverage
Your dental benefits are a contract between you, your employer, and your insurance company.
Our role is to diagnose, explain your options, and help you understand how your benefits may apply. Any estimates we provide are not guarantees—they are based on the information available at the time. Final coverage is determined by your insurance after the claim is processed.
Uncovered amounts are the patient’s responsibility.
Our Network Participation
We do not have direct contracts with any insurance company.
However, we do participate with certain third-party networks, including Connection Dental and Zelis.
Some insurance plans use these networks. This may include GEHA, United Healthcare, BCBS, MetLife, Cigna, Aetna, Guardian, Ameritas, Lincoln Financial, and some Medicare Advantage plans.
Because of this, your plan may apply in-network benefits at our office. This depends on your specific plan, not our office.
Insurance companies and third-party networks may change their relationships at any time. This can affect how your benefits are applied in our office. We are not involved in those decisions.
We review dental benefits as a courtesy for all scheduled appointments so you can better understand how your plan may apply to your visit.
Flexible Options
We offer payment options to help you move forward with care:
What does “covered” mean?
“Covered” means a procedure is part of your plan—not that it will be paid.
Final payment depends on your specific benefits, limitations, and how the claim is processed.
A quote of benefits—whether provided by your insurance company or our office—is not a guarantee of payment.
Why doesn’t my insurance cover the treatment you recommended?
Insurance companies do not determine what you need—they determine what they help pay for.
We recommend treatment based on your health, not your plan.
Some necessary treatments may not be covered or may be covered at a lower level.
Why is my estimate different from what insurance paid?
Estimates are based on the information available before treatment.
After your claim is submitted, your insurance company reviews it and applies their rules, such as deductibles, frequency limits, waiting periods, alternate benefits, or downgrades.
The final payment is determined by your insurance company, not our office, so it may be different from the estimate.
Is a pre-treatment estimate the same as a prior authorization?
No. A pre-treatment estimate is not an approval.
Prior authorizations, as commonly understood in medical insurance, generally do not exist in dental benefits.
Insurance companies do not approve treatment ahead of time—they process claims after treatment is completed.
Questions about your benefits? Give us a call—we’ll help you understand your options.
