Times like this when the economy is limping and everything is so expensive, it is very important that you have coverage for your dental needs. But as you’ve noticed, your dental plan doesn’t cover everything. There are still a lot of out of pocket costs. The insurer only pays a portion of the fee.
If you look at dental policies closely, you will notice that they entail what is called a UCR or usual and customary fees. Sad to say however, it is the insurer that determines what is usual and customary. If your dental plan allows you to choose a dentist you want to get care from, check your policy’s UCR versus what the dentist charges. Those who live in urban areas may have different fees from those living in rural areas.
It will be a problem if your preferred dentist’s fees are far from the UCR set by your insurer. In this case you might want to consider looking for a dental plan that has a higher UCR. You can try talking to your dentist about this. They might have suggestions that can help you. Or you could also consider looking for another dentist. If what you have is an employer-sponsored insurance and you feel that the insurer’s UCR is too low than what is realistic, see if you can discuss this matter with your employer or benefits officer.
