Delta Dental PPO is Mountaineer Insurance Services’ preferred-provider option program. With Delta Dental PPO you have access to a network of dentists who accept reduced fees for covered services, giving you the lowest out-of-pocket costs.
Delta Dental PPO Plus Premier combines the Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier networks, which gives you the benefits of Delta Dental PPO and more. With this plan, even if your Delta Dental Premier dentist is not in the PPO network, you still receive the benefit of that dentist’s contracted fee.
Delta Dental Premier is our original fee-for-service plan that offers the largest network of dentists. These dentists have agreed to contracted fees with Delta Dental, so for covered services, you pay no more than your copay and deductible.
DeltaCare USA is Delta Dental’s dental HMO, which offers low-cost dental coverage with a focus on preventive care. Enjoy minimal or no copayments for preventive care and choose from a network of dentists to manage your dental needs.
Delta Dental Patient Direct is a dental service discount plan. You choose from a panel of participating dentists who charge discounted fees for their services. You pay the discounted fee directly to your dentist at the time of treatment—with no paperwork to file.
DeltaVision is a vision plan, that offers pre-negotiated discounts on eye exams, glasses, contact lenses and laser vision correction. DeltaVision may be available separately or as a part of your dental insurance.
Delta Dental Individual and FamilyTM Now, you can get the same comprehensive dental benefits offered by employers for you and your family. We offer a variety of plans that provide access to the same nationwide networks and the same great customer service that our group customers enjoy.
Discussing cost & treatment options
How to discuss cost and treatment options with your dentist
Your tooth hurts, so you visit a dentist. End of discussion, right? Actually, the dialogue has just begun. Developing a frank and open relationship with your dentist may be one of the most important things you can do for your oral health.
“Both patient and dentist have a responsibility to open the lines of communication from the first examination,” says Kevin Sheu, DDS, Delta Dental’s Director of Clinical Services. “You should begin by fully disclosing your dental history with the dentist and any prior medical problems. And if you’re dental phobic, dentists like to know that, too,” says Dr. Sheu.
The dentist should explain the pros and cons of each treatment option — even the consequences of doing nothing. A toothache, for example, might be a cavity that can be solved with a simple filling. So, a discussion about the types of fillings and the cost for each is in order. But if the toothache is a symptom of something more serious, options could range from root canal therapy to removing the tooth and replacing it with a removable partial denture, fixed bridge or implant.
Dentists also should describe the cost of each procedure, as well as the longevity of a treatment versus its aesthetics. For example, while amalgam fillings are considered to be the best option in terms of longevity, a resin filling is sometimes considered a more aesthetically pleasing option on the front teeth. Depending on your dental benefits, these two options could have quite different out-of-pocket costs for you.
You can help facilitate discussion of costs with your dentist by reviewing your dental benefits before your visit. To help determine in advance how much your out-of-pocket cost might be, Delta Dental offers a free service called a “pre-determination estimate”. After discussing your treatment options with you, the dentist submits the proposed treatment plan to Delta Dental, and we estimate what portion of the treatment is covered by your benefits and what your share of the cost could potentially be. This is especially important when the treatment plan is very extensive and potentially costly.
Dr. Sheu recommends that patients ask questions if the dentist does not provide enough information. It is also within the patient’s rights to request a second opinion if they have concerns about the proposed treatment. “What it comes down to,” Dr. Sheu says, “is having enough explanation that you can make an informed decision.”