Does the Insurance Company control what the Dentist charges?
By Carlo Nichini
According to the BCDA, 62 % of Canadians were covered by dental plans in 2010. These plans are a valuable financial resource to plan members, but who actually controls the costs.
The policyholder (employer or plan sponsor) will set all of the various provisions of the plan which outline what is covered and in to what degree those services are covered. The plan provisions will detail elements such as deductibles, coinsurance, maximum benefit levels and limitations. Depending on how the plan sponsor designs the plan, plan members may still be required to pay for a portion of the cost of dental care and often wonder if they are being charged appropriately for services that the plan doesn’t cover.
