OSI provides comprehensive dental insurance verification services that help practice reduce administrative hassles, streamline the patient intake process, avoid claim submission errors, and improve the overall patient experience. We stay informed about insurance plan changes and can provide tailored solutions to suit the unique needs of your dental practice.
In today’s podcast, Amber Darst, Solutions Manager at OSI, discusses what root canal treatment is, factors affecting its cost, and the role of insurance verification in the process.
Podcast Highlights
00:16 What is Root Canal Treatment?
00:40 Cost of Root Canal Treatment and Dental Insurance Coverage
02:16 Importance of Insurance Verification
Read Transcript
Hi, this is Amber Darst, Solutions Manager here at MOS. Today, I’ll be discussing why root canal treatment is essential, factors affecting its cost and the crucial role that insurance verification plays in the process.
00:16 What is Root Canal Treatment?
Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic therapy, becomes necessary when infection or inflammation develops in the pulp or the soft tissue inside the root canal of a tooth. This procedure is designed to remove the infection from the inner layers of the tooth and importantly, to prevent re-infection while preserving the natural tooth.
00:40 Cost of Root Canal Treatment
Now, let’s talk about what you might be wondering – the cost of root canal treatment.
The cost varies and is influenced by several factors.
First, it depends on the location of the infected tooth. Front teeth typically cost less to treat, while molars located at the back of your mouth tend to be more challenging to address, making the procedure costlier.
The complexity of the problem is another factor. Severe infections might require more intensive treatment, including crown placement after the entire treatment to protect the compromised tooth structure, whereas a minor issue may only need a simple filling. If you’ve had a previous root canal in the same tooth, retreatment may be necessary, which can also add to the cost.
So the question is, how can you manage these costs?
That’s where dental insurance comes into play. Many dental insurance plans provide coverage for root canal therapy, but the extent of coverage varies depending on the patient’s plan. Dental insurance plans typically cover 50 to 80% of the cost of root canal therapy after the deductible has been met.
However, coverage may also depend on whether the patient’s dentist or endodontist is in network or out of network.
One crucial aspect of managing costs is dental insurance verification. It should be done before services are provided to ensure smooth and accurate eligibility verification, minimizing billing errors and unexpected bills for patients.
02:16 Importance of Insurance Verification
But why is insurance verification so important?
Well, for one, it helps practices understand the patient’s eligibility for the root canal treatment. And this is especially significant since certain insurance companies may require preauthorization for certain procedures. To navigate this complex landscape, dental practices rely on experienced dental insurance verification services. These services help streamline the patient intake process by confirming essential information such as – effective coverage dates, waiting periods, deductibles and treatment history.
By partnering with a reliable insurance verification service provider such as MOS, dental practices can reduce administrative burdens, avoid claim submission errors, and improve the overall patient experience.
And that’s all on this.
Thanks for listening in.
