9292 Mira Mesa Boulevard
San Diego, California 92126
Mon 8am - 6pm | Tues - Wed 8am - 5pm | Thur 7am - 5pm
Closed Friday, Saturday & Sunday
About Dental Insurances
We accept PPO plans from: Cigna
Please note: While we accept this insurance, we still may not be in-network for your particular insurance. We are not in-network with: Metlife, Principal, Assurant, or United Concordia.
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Insurance can be tricky.
Lets make something that’s complicated, a little clearer.
With all the changes in healthcare these days, dental insurance is undergoing changes too. On this page, we attempting to discuss dental insurance plainly and simply.
Can I know ahead of time what my costs will be?
Whether or not you have dental insurance:
Prior to treatment, speak with our financial coordinator.
This allows you to get an estimate of what your fees will be, and usually gives you many options. If you have insurance, you’ll be able to get an idea of what your insurance will pay for and what your out of pocket expenses will be. Depending on your plan, there are times when it’s actually cheaper overall to pay out of pocket.
Talk to us, and we can develop a strategic plan of action that works best for you.
Talk to us, and we can develop a strategic plan of action that works best for you with your dental insurance.
Is dental insurance worth it?
Is it better to pay out-of-pocket?
It depends.
If you get it through an employer, than in most cases dental insurance it is worth it, simply as an option. However, it’s really is only a good deal if you have a PPO (more below).
If you are self-employed, it is probably better to pay out of pocket and enjoy discounts from cash and check payments.
What’s better: An HMO or PPO?
If you have the option to choose between an HMO and a PPO, choose a PPO.
A PPO gives you the option to go to any doctor out of your network. An HMO does not. In general, with a PPO, you sometimes pay as little as 10% more.
To summarize:
Dental insurance IS confusing.
With all the political changes in healthcare, dental insurance benefits are changing too. When a dentist goes out of network on a PPO, it’s usually because they don’t get paid enough by the insurance to make a profit for the work. When you have a dentist that uses quality materials and the best technology, they actually lose money.
You shouldn’t just go online and “throw a dart at the board” from among the dentists that take your insurances in-network. A lot of dentists that accept “in-network” insurances are driven on a model where they have to up-sell you on things in order to make up for the lost income on insurances. That means most often that there’s a lot of hidden charges in your bill. It’s like buying an airline ticket, and then they charge you for baggage fees and snacks.
In order to continue giving people the best care, we’re going out of network with some PPO insurances. To save the most money, when you come in, talk with our financial coordinator prior to any major treatment. This way, you can get an estimate of what your fees will be, and get options. You’ll be able to get an idea of what your insurance will pay for and what your out of pocket expenses will be.
We can also show you what the hidden downgrade fees are in your insurance. For example, instead of a white filling – some insurances will only pay for a mercury filling (which we don’t do). Sometimes instead of white crown, they’ll only pay for a metal one.
In the end our top priority is patient care. This means actual time with patients, quality materials and the latest tech that allows us to do the best work possible.