Changes Effective August 1, 2024
Our practice is dedicated to providing personalized care, and it is our honor to assist you in maintaining your oral health. As many of you know, the healthcare industry is facing ongoing challenges that impact both patients and providers. In the last 12 months, Insurance companies have adjusted their fee structures, resulting in many services being covered at a cost lower than the actual expense to deliver them.
Currently our average reimbursement for a cleaning is $91, a fraction of what it costs us to deliver the service.
Over the past year as many premier offices in the area have gone out of network with insurances, we have become a catch all for patients looking for routine 6 month cleanings. Our wait times to get in for existing patients have grown to 8 months and we effectively lose money providing hygiene services. This discrepancy has led to increased costs for our practice, which have become unsustainable. Despite our best efforts to negotiate with insurance companies, we have had no success.
After careful consideration, we have concluded that our choices are to either go out of network with insurance companies or implement an annual hygiene membership fee to be included in our hygiene program. Many insurance companies require patients to pay upfront for all services with out of network providers. This would make it difficult for most of our patients to continue receiving high-quality care.
Looking ahead, we find it necessary to implement an annual hygiene administrative fee of $185 per patient or $500 per family (up to four members) to be included in our hygiene program.
We do not want to strain doctor-patient relationships or burden our patients with this fee.
We understand that dental care is already a significant expense for many. However, this fee will enable us to continue providing outstanding service and care while remaining in-network. We understand that many of our existing patients will choose to find care elsewhere and we wish you all the best.
FAQ
Q: If I've already had a cleaning at Bloom Dental Group in 2024, will the fee be applicable in 2024?
A: Yes, every hygiene appointment will incur this fee once a year starting August 1 2024. Patients paying the annual hygiene fee August 2024, will not need to pay the membership again until August 2025 etc.
Q: If I am part of the Bloom Dental Group annual membership, are there any additional costs?
A: No, the annual Bloom Dental Group standard membership fee ($375) will not change and continue to include 2 regular cleanings, all exams and x-rays.
Q: Is this hygiene fee applicable to all insurance companies?
A: Yes, unfortunately our reimbursements for hygiene services are a fraction of what it costs us to provide the service and therefore it will apply to any patient coming in for hygiene services paid for by insurance.
Q: Is this applicable if I want to visit Bloom Dental Group only for dental treatment?
A: No, this will only be applicable to our hygiene program, we remain in network with several PPO insurances and patients can opt to see our doctors for any and all other dental work without incurring the hygiene membership fee.
Q: Is this membership fee covered by my insurance? Can I use my HSA/FSA to pay the hygiene administrative fee?
A: No, the administrative fee is not covered by your insurance and is billed directly to the patient. Yes, you can use HSA/FSA funds to cover the fee.
Q: If I am having financial hardships are there any considerations?
A: Yes, please reach out to our office to discuss your situation and we will do our best to accommodate you.