What is a Usual and Customary rate?
Our fees are considered average, and fall into the same middle range as most other dental offices in central Ohio. Therefore, they are acceptable by most insurance companies and are covered up to the “allowable fee” determined by each company. This applies to companies using the term “UCR” (Usual and Customary Rates). Our fees and the insurance company’s “allowable fees” are frequently different, however. And many insurance companies unfairly imply that “your doctor’s fees are above the usual and customary fees” rather than more truthfully saying “your insurance benefits are low.” The fact is that every insurance plan has a different UCR! It has nothing to do with what doctors charge, but only with the plan will allow. The amount your plan pays, or allows, for your dental care is determined by how much you or your employer paid for the plan. If someone were willing to pay more for their dental plan, they would have a higher “allowable amount” and less to spend out-of-pocket. Therefore,
