Fees, Financial Policy, and Insurance

Michigan Avenue General Dental Associates and Michigan Avenue Dental Specialty Associates are associated groups comprised of independently practicing general dentists and specialty dentists who have always maintained reasonable and competitive fees for the quality of care provided.

After your initial examination and/or consultation each patient is provided with a written treatment plan that clearly lists the estimated proposed treatments, the sequence of treatments, approximate time of each procedure and lists the estimated fees associated with each treatment. Before any work is performed we would like our patients to be clearly informed of all procedures and fees. If you feel there to be any confusion concerning your understanding of your treatment plan please do not hesitate to ask the doctor or his assistant to clarify any point of concern.

Patients without insurance or who are not participants in a group dental plan are requested to pay in full at the time services are rendered. Patients with third party indemnity insurance (commonly referred to as “traditional insurance”) are requested to pay 50% of their fees at the time services are rendered and participants in a managed care program, i.e., an HMO or a PPO are required by their dental plan contract to pay their co-payments in full at the time services are rendered. All of our general dentists participate in the following insurance plans. Not all of our specialists participate in every insurance plan.

We make every effort to provide you with quality care and the most convenient financial options. To accomplish this we work hand-in-hand with insurance companies to maximize your insurance reimbursement. We bill our “usual and customary fees” to all insurance companies. A “claim adjustment” is made to the fee per our insurance contract when the office receives the “estimate of benefits” (EOB) from the insurance company. We accept all insurances and are participating providers with the following insurance companies. 

PPO Dental Insurance Plans

We accept all Illinois Licensed PPO plans including all Federal Medicare associated plans. Which includes, but not limited to the following PPO plans.

• Aetna
• American National
• Ameritus
• Assurant
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Cigna
• Delta
• Dentemax
• GEHA
• Guardian
• Humana
• Medicare
• MetLife
• Unicare
• United Concordia

HMO Plans

• Aetna
• Cigna
• Delta

For those patients who are participants in a Dental Managed Care program, e.g., an HMO, please be aware of the many “limitations and exclusions” of your plan. Quoting from the American Dental Association’s insurance code book defining “Managed Care”, “…refers to a cost containment system that directs the utilization of health benefits by: a) restricting the type, level and frequency of treatment, b) limiting the access of care, and c) controlling the level of reimbursement for services”.* (*underlining added by MADA) If your insurance company or managed care company has provided you with an insurance/participation card please bring the card with you at your first visit.

We deliver superior care at the most reasonable cost to our patients, therefore payment of the patient’s estimated portion is due at the time the service is rendered. Any remaining balance after your insurance had paid is the responsibility of the patient. A statement will be sent to you after insurance has made all payments to your account. Your prompt remittance is appreciated. If you have any questions regarding your account, please contact us. Many times, a simple telephone call will clear any misunderstandings.

For your convenience, we accept cash, check and credit cards. We also have an agreement with Care Credit, a third-party financing option that allows patients to receive interest-free financing.

Please remember you are fully responsible for your account regardless of your insurance coverage.

Patients can apply via our website’s direct link button. CareCredit is the nation’s largest leading patient payment program. With CareCredit you can finance 100% of your dental care and there are no upfront costs, no annual fees, and no pre-payment penalties. So, you can begin your treatment today and conveniently pay with low, monthly payments. CareCredit offers a full range of payment plans so you can find one that works best for you. With the popular No Interest Payment Plans* there are no interest charges if you pay your balance in full within the specified time period. Monthly payments can be as low as 3% of your balance. For procedure fees from $1,000 to $25,000, CareCredit offers 24, 36, or48-monthh plan options with low monthly payments available. CareCredit can be used by the whole family for ongoing treatment without having to reapply. And by using CareCredit for your dental care, you can save your other credit cards for household or unplanned expenses. It only takes a few minutes to apply for CareCredit and you’ll receive an online decision in seconds! Apply now if you wish, or see our staff for more details.

Terms and Conditions

We will assist you in all necessary claim preparation and extend the courtesy of accepting assignment of benefits when appropriate. Please be aware, regardless of the type of dental coverage, the patient is responsible for payment of his/her bill in full. No insurance company has a plan they market that covers 100% of all dental procedures. Some pay a fixed allowance for certain procedures others pay a percentage of a prearranged fee schedule of their own which they refer to as their “usual and customary fee schedule”. We will send you a monthly statement approximately 7 to 10 days after the first of each month. Most insurance companies will respond within two to four weeks. We must insist that all amounts be paid in full before 90 days have passed from the time of treatment regardless of coverage. Our hope is for you to urge your insurance carrier to pay their portion in a timely manner. We can estimate your portion and ask that you pay that amount at the time of service. Any remaining balance after your insurance has paid is also your responsibility. Your prompt remittance is appreciated. If you require special consideration of your account please let us know at the beginning of your treatment. If you have questions regarding your account, please contact us at 312-922-9595. Many times, a simple telephone call will prevent any misunderstandings.