Has visiting the dentist before year’s end even crossed your mind? If so, kudos to you! The new year creeps up on us so much faster than we remember. When you make regular dentist appointments, you’re setting good habits for yourself, maintaining your wellness, and taking advantage of your Hawaii Dental Service dental coverage. Here are a few more reasons why we think the beginning of the year is the right time for using your coverage at the dentist:
Using Your Hawaii Dental Service at the Dentist:
When it’s time to start thinking up New Year’s resolutions, remember to include your dental benefits in your vision.
- Did your coverage or employer change recently?
- Did you recently find a new dentist?
- Are you interested in finding a new dentist now?
With Hawaii Dental Service coverage for your smile health, it’s easy to make a dentist appointment and start the year off right with preventive care!
If you have HDS coverage, choose from one of our many participating dentists. By scheduling your appointment within our network of dentists, you can rest assured they’ve all agreed to the same “contracted rate.”
This is the rate the dentist and Hawaii Dental Service agreed upon for dentist services. Contracted rates are agreed upon when we bring a new dentist into our network of providers!
Coverage and HDS Dentists:
- Hawaii Dental Service’s in-network dentists will submit your claims directly to us. That means that when you have an appointment and have some work done, the dentist works with us for payment, and there’s less paperwork for you!
- Our in-network dentists accept payment directly from Delta Dental. That means you don’t have to pay for the entire visit or wait for a reimbursement check.
- Hawaii Dental Service has negotiated lower dental fees with our network of dentists. Participating Delta Dental dentist cannot bill you for any amount over that amount. After your claim has been processed with us, you may see an amount on your bill that was higher than the contracted rate. Not to worry — this is Delta Dental showing you how much you saved with your HDS coverage.
The Dentist Appointment
After you’ve found an in-network dentist that fits your needs, plan on arriving a little early so you can fill out the office’s paperwork and HIPAA forms. If you are anxious about the appointment at all, review our expert guidance for overcoming anxiety at the dentist.
If you have concerns about what you’ll have to pay at your visit, don’t forgot about pre-treatment estimates. Ask your dentist for a Delta Dental pre-treatment estimate prior to getting work done. Asking for this before you undergo treatment gives you the power to know procedure costs before you commit!
Once we complete the estimate and send it back to your dentist, they’ll verbally let you know what the pre-treatment estimate says. Learn more about how helpful pre-treatment estimates can be.
If you have any questions about taking advantage of your Hawaii Dental Service dental coverage this new year, don’t hesitate to contact us. Take advantage of these other useful resources on making the most of your dental benefits:
*Updated July 2019
