Dentistry and insurance

Re: Dentistry and insurance

Rob Davis — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:35:47 GMT

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]

My line with clients is that insurance companies will not pay up for the treatment of problems arising from calculus, tartar, gingivitis, caries or periodontal disease and if they wish to claim for such we will levy an administration charge.

I have to say if I was an insurance company I wouldn't pay out on such things either.

[/quote]

Why not pay for caries or periodontitis (I assume that is what you mean rather than periodontal disease

Re: Dentistry and insurance

emma_j — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:52:34 GMT

Have usually found most will cover fractures, feline gingivitis/stomatisis complex, and FORLs as well.

Re: Dentistry and insurance

tess — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:26:31 GMT

I saw a dog with a # canine this week. Plan is to refer it for a root canal, but client has just called to say Pet Plan want me to fill out some sort of form before they will confirm if it will be covered.

Re: Dentistry and insurance

Rob Davis — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:21:49 GMT

Most companies don't cover denitstry at all, some cover some things such as fractured teeth, petplan will cover most things as long as there is a record of regular dental examinations and the owner has complied with recommendations for treatment in the past. I have successfully claimed several times for oral procedures (including one from E&L for gingivoplasty!), but as others have mentioned, the wording is critical.

I have had a claim refused from petplan previously for extracting persistent deciduous canines because they felt they were not currently causing a problem and the procedure was propylactic. I argued for some time but lost in the end. Subsequent claims have been carefully worded.

I have not had any problem with petplan claiming for periondontitis, gingival hyperplasia, fractured teeth, feline chronic gingivo-stomatitis etc.

Re: Dentistry and insurance

John Flynn — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:43:10 GMT

Have had claims paid for oral disease in past - I think important to distinguish this from routine dentistry.

E.g. extraction of large numberrs of relatively healthy looking teeth as a treatment for severe feline gingivitis stomatitis complex. Probably using the best up-to-date terminology is important in such cases.

Re: Dentistry and insurance

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:25:03 GMT

I had a claim paid for removal of retained deciduous teeth. The form was green and white - direct line? Can't remember.

Re: Dentistry and insurance

Rob Loxley — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:24:45 GMT

[quote user="GrooveJet"]Which conditions are generally accepted?[/quote]

Often (but not always) traumatic injuries to teeth. Rarely (but sometimes) the treatment of periodontal disease. Pretty much never descale/polish. Sometimes nothing (pikey insurance policies...)

Re: Dentistry and insurance

Niall Taylor — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:32:08 GMT

Hi Groove Jet,

AFAIK only Pet Plan will pay for dental work and even then only if the teeth are recorded in the history as having been examined regularly and pronounced healthy on each previous examination. I can only remember one occasion when a client was successful in making an insurance claim for dentistry and even then I had to write the company a confirmatory letter with lots of really long words like gingivitis and periodontal in it before they did so.

I have to say if I was an insurance company I wouldn't pay out on such things either.

Cheers,

Niall

oh, and welcome to the forum