Dental Letters: Write, Blog and Email Your Way to Success with CD-ROM. American Dental Association

      

      Acknowledgements

      The American Dental Association’s Department of Product Development and Sales and the ADA Council on Dental Practice developed this publication.

      Principal contributors to this manuscript were made by Kathryn Pulkrabek, Manager/Editor, Professional Products, Department of Product Development and Sales; Carolyn B. Tatar, MBA, Senior Manager, Department of Product Development and Sales; Kate Melcher, Product Line Manager, Patient Education, Department of Product Development and Sales; Dennis McHugh, Manager, Dental Benefit Information Service, Council on Dental Benefit Programs; Pam Porembski, DDS, Senior Manager, Council on Dental Practice; Helen Ristic, PhD, Director, Scientific Information, Division of Science; Wendy Wils, JD, Deputy General Counsel, ADA Division of Legal Affairs; Jeffrey Fraum, JD, Senior Associate General Counsel, ADA Division of Legal Affairs; and Paula Tironi, JD, Associate General Counsel, ADA Division of Legal Affairs.

      The Council on Dental Practice Mission Statement

      The mission of the Council on Dental Practice is to recommend policies and provide resources to empower our members to continue development of the dental practice, and to enhance their personal and professional lives for the betterment of the dental team and the patients they serve.

       Disclaimer

      This publication is intended to provide general background information on dental office letters. It does not constitute policy of the American Dental Association, establish a standard of care, or restrict a dentist’s exercise of professional judgment. It does not provide dental practice, legal or other professional advice. Readers must consult with their own professional advisors for such advice. Laws vary from state to state and thus, consultation with an attorney in your state may be necessary. The Association makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, and assumes no legal liability for the completeness, accuracy, usefulness or any other quality of the information provided in this publication. Not every letter here will be appropriate for every dentist or in every state. Make sure you review the letters and are comfortable with them before you send them. Also, make sure your state’s advertising rules and regulations permit this type of outreach. Other legal issues may arise, too. For example, for the situation in the letter “Referral to a Specialist on a Patient’s Behalf,” state law controls what sort of permission you need from your patient before you can release dental records to another provider. Always consult your own legal counsel or your state and local dental societies.

      To the extent we have included links to any website, ADA intends no endorsement of their content and implies no affiliation with the organizations that provide their content. Nor does ADA make any representations or warranties about the information provided to those sites, which ADA does not control in any way.

      © 2013 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.

      The ADA Practical Guide to

      Dental Letters

      Write, Blog and Email Your Way to Success

      Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

INSURANCE

How Insurance Plans Work

Forgotten Signature on Dental Claim Form

Treatment Beyond Insurance Maximum

Treatment Beyond Insurance Maximum — CareCredit®

Patient Balance Due After Office Received Insurance Payment

Query to Insurance Company About Late Payment

Direct Reimbursement

Letter to Insurance Carrier Regarding UCR

Letter to Insurance Carrier — EOB Language for Not Dentally Necessary Services

Letter to Employer Regarding UCR

Letter to Employer — EOB Language for Not Dentally Necessary Services

Use Your Dental Benefits Before the End of the Year

Letter to Insurance Company for Nightguard and Cosmetic Approvals

Coordination of Benefits (COB)

Insurance Did Not Pay — Letter to Patient

Change of Accepted Insurance

Appeal of Claim Denial to Insurance Company — Letter from Patient

Notice of Privacy Practices — What Does It Mean?

FINANCIAL

New Payment Policy

Change in Charges

Payment Options for Extensive Treatment

Introducing Patients to CareCredit®

Cost Estimates

Delinquent Payers (1-30 Days)

Delinquent Payers (31-60 Days)

Delinquent Payers