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.