Financial Policy
Time, skill, care, judgment, professional education and experience
determine professional fees. We are proud of our fees and know
that they represent fair compensation for the quality of the services
provided to our patients. However, when it comes to costs of any
sort, none of us likes surprises. We feel that it is important
for our patients to understand our financial policies before initiating
any treatment. Our policy is to tell you, in advance of any treatment,
what your investment in your dental health will be and to make
definite financial arrangements before we begin treatment. Payment
for any services is due and payable at the time the services are
provided.
After your initial comprehensive examination, diagnosis and
consultation, we will review with you our recommended treatment
plan and estimated cost. We will offer alternatives and their
costs. To make payment as convenient as possible, we offer several
payment methods. We accept cash, check or major credit cards.
We also have customized, outside financing available to help make
ideal dental care more affordable.
Dental Benefits
Many of our patients have dental benefits. We encourage each of
our patients to become familiar with the coverage they have. To
simplify the process for all of us, we have adopted the following
policies. First, we expect our patients to take full responsibility
for the payment of our fees. Our contract is with you, not with
your insurance company, and we will happily document all your
needs and care received in our office, but we do not accept assignment
of dental insurance benefits. We will gladly help you with the
process of claims submission. We provide all the necessary information,
send any required documentation that is requested by insurers,
we respond to any information requests, both writing letters of
explanation and even having conversations with insurer consultants
to try to help you get all the coverage that you deserve. If insurance
coverage is in doubt, we will be happy to submit a "pre-treatment
estimate of benefits" to the insurance company.
Second, you should be aware that most insurance plans do not
cover certain types of dental treatment. The common examples of
these are cosmetic procedures; restoration need due to excessive
wear on teeth, and procedures where the insurance companies feel
a cheaper (not better) option is available. For example, an insurance
company may substitute the benefit for a silver filling when a
superior tooth colored filling is placed. Coverages are arbitrarily
downgraded by insurance companies so that they can pay fewer benefits
on your behalf. Our office cannot predict when this will happen.
Location
Our office is located in Scurlock Tower, a professional building
owned and attached to The Methodist Hospital, in the Texas Medical
Center. Many of our patients have all their medical providers
here in Scurlock Tower, and Methodist Hospital is a terrific place
for care. The close proximity of medical care also gives us very
quick medical emergency care if ever needed. Please refer to our
map.