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How are appointments scheduled?
Our Reviews
Do I stay with my child during the visit?
What about finances?
Our Office Policy Regarding Dental Insurance
COVID-19 Update
How are appointments scheduled?
The office attempts to schedule appointments at your convenience and
when time is available. Preschool children should be seen in the
morning because they are fresher and we can work more slowly with
them for their comfort. School children with a lot of work to be
done should be seen in the morning for the same reason. Dental
appointments are an excused absence. Missing school can be kept to a
minimum when regular dental care is continued.
Since appointed times are reserved exclusively for each patient we
ask that you please notify our office 24 hours in advance of your
scheduled appointment time if you are unable to keep your
appointment. Another patient, who needs our care, could be scheduled
if we have sufficient time to notify them. We realize that
unexpected things can happen, but we ask for your assistance in this
regard.
Do I stay with my child during the visit?
We invite you to stay with your child during the initial
examination. During future appointments, we suggest you allow your
child to accompany our staff through the dental experience. We can
usually establish a closer rapport with your child when you are not
present. Our purpose is to gain your child's confidence and overcome
apprehension. However, if you choose, you are more than welcome to
accompany your child to the treatment room. For the safety and
privacy of all patients, other children who are not being treated
should remain in the reception room with a supervising adult.
What about finances?
Payment for professional services is due at the time dental
treatment is provided. Every effort will be made to provide a
treatment plan which fits your timetable and budget, and gives your
child the best possible care. We accept cash, personal checks, debit
cards and most major credit cards.
If we have received all of your insurance information on the day of
the appointment, we will be happy to file your claim for you. You
must be familiar with your insurance benefits, as we will collect
from you the estimated amount insurance is not expected to pay. By
law your insurance company is required to pay each claim within 30
days of receipt. We file all insurance electronically, so your
insurance company will receive each claim within days of the
treatment. You are responsible for any balance on your account after
30 days, whether insurance has paid or not. If you have not paid
your balance within 60 days a re-billing fee of 1.5% will be added
to your account each month until paid. We will be glad to send a
refund to you if your insurance pays us.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND that we file dental insurance as a courtesy to our
patients. We do not have a contract with your insurance company,
only you do. We are not responsible for how your insurance company
handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We can
only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment.
We at no time guarantee what your insurance will or will not do with
each claim. We also can not be responsible for any errors in filing
your insurance. Once again, we file claims as a courtesy to you.
Fact 1 - NO INSURANCE PAYS 100% OF ALL PROCEDURES
Dental insurance is meant to be an aid in receiving dental care.
Many patients think that their insurance pays 90%-100% of all dental
fees. This is not true! Most plans only pay between 50%-80% of the
average total fee. Some pay more, some pay less. The percentage paid
is usually determined by how much you or your employer has paid for
coverage, or the type of contract your employer has set up with the
insurance company.
Fact 2 - BENEFITS ARE NOT DETERMINED BY OUR OFFICE
You may have noticed that sometimes your dental insurer reimburses
you or the dentist at a lower rate than the dentist's actual fee.
Frequently, insurance companies state that the reimbursement was
reduced because your dentist's fee has exceeded the usual,
customary, or reasonable fee ("UCR") used by the company.
A statement such as this gives the impression that any fee greater
than the amount paid by the insurance company is unreasonable, or
well above what most dentists in the area charge for a certain
service. This can be very misleading and simply is not accurate.
Insurance companies set their own schedules, and each company uses a
different set of fees they consider allowable. These allowable fees
may vary widely, because each company collects fee information from
claims it processes. The insurance company then takes this data and
arbitrarily chooses a level they call the "allowable" UCR Fee.
Frequently, this data can be three to five years old and these
"allowable" fees are set by the insurance company so they can make a
net 20%-30% profit.
Unfortunately, insurance companies imply that your dentist is
"overcharging", rather than say that they are "underpaying", or that
their benefits are low. In general, the less expensive insurance
policy will use a lower usual, customary, or reasonable (UCR)
figure.
Fact 3 - DEDUCTIBLES & CO-PAYMENTS MUST BE CONSIDERED
When estimating dental benefits, deductibles and percentages must be
considered. To illustrate, assume the fee for service is $150.00.
Assuming that the insurance company allows $150.00 as its usual and
customary (UCR) fee, we can figure out what benefits will be paid.
First a deductible (paid by you), on average $50, is subtracted,
leaving $100.00. The plan then pays 80% for this particular
procedure. The insurance company will then pay 80% of $100.00, or
$80.00. Out of a $150.00 fee they will pay an estimated $80.00
leaving a remaining portion of $70.00 (to be paid by the patient).
Of course, if the UCR is less than $150.00 or your plan pays only at
50% then the insurance benefits will also be significantly less.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, please keep us informed of any insurance changes
such as policy name, insurance company address, or a change of
employment.
Dear WPD Families,
I am writing this letter to inform you Weddell Pediatric Dentistry’s
new office policies. Firstly, Weddell Pediatric Dentistry remains
committed to our mission to provide high quality, safe and enjoyable
dental care to Indianapolis children.
In the midst of this pandemic, Weddell Pediatric Dentistry has
developed new policies to keep the staff, families and patients as
safe as possible. These policies include:
1. Parents must wait in their car or waiting room. No adults are
allowed back in the treatment areas. When you arrive at your
appointment please call our office at 317-924-5359. Only one family
can be brought back at a time to allow social distancing. The chart
will be given for the Dr. to review then we will call you to bring
your child to the front door at Suite 100. Treatment consent and any
updates are obtained at this time. The child is brought immediately
back for treatment. Please be available via phone for any
communication from our office. Dr. Nicole, Dr. Kelli & Dr. Jordan
always available via phone before or after patient care.
2. Please bring a mask for yourself and patient. This is an Indiana
mandate.
3. Patients must be up to date with their vaccinations.
4. We make every effort to limit unnecessary aerosol procedures.
Aerosol procedures include cavity fillings, polish cleanings and
extractions. The pediatric dentist will assess the necessity for the
procedure versus the risk of not doing the procedure. All aerosol
procedures are done in private closed room.
5. If an appointment is failed you will not be reappointed. You will
be dismissed from the practice.
Weddell Pediatric Dentistry is practicing social distancing and
enhanced sanitation due to the Coronavirus. We are restricting the
use of our waiting rooms and private offices unless you do not have
transportation to wait in. In addition to new PPE, WPD has more
frequent surface and floor cleanings, daily employee COVID
screenings, social distancing with slower schedule, and new hospital
grade HEPA/UVC Surgically Clean Air filters in every patient room.
Please visit our Facebook and website for up to date information. We
hope once there is patient testing and vaccine WPD can return to
less restrictive policies involving more parent involvement in care.
We really miss seeing your faces! Stay healthy and thank you for all
your support.
Thank you for your understanding,
TNicole Weddell DDS MSD
President, Weddell Pediatric Dentistry
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