What would a dental obtaining and paying program look like if it were designed by a dentist and not an insurance company? What if she let patients and their dentists decide on treatments without third party approval? covered all dental treatments, including braces, teeth whitening and implants; and insurance hassles totally eliminated?
It would look like PayDent (paydent.com), and dentists in Downers Grove, Glenview and Naperville have already registered and are treating patients under the program.
Co-founded by Dr. Kevin Patterson, a Chicago-area dentist with 34 years of practice experience, and Steve Valentor, a successful entrepreneur and serial engineer, PayDent is an innovative new alternative to dental insurance. which offers a multitude of benefits for patients and dental providers.
“Having cared for thousands of patients throughout my career, I saw with my own eyes that the existing model of paying for dental care no longer made sense,” said Patterson. “So we set out to develop something that better serves consumers and dental offices. The result is PayDent, which replaces low-value dental insurance plans with a tool that helps patients build funds to pay for unavoidable dental expenses and streamlines the process for dentists. to be paid.”
PayDent works on an easy-to-use, iOS and Android compatible app. Unlike traditional insurance, it covers all types of dental treatment – including routine, elective, specialty and cosmetic dental procedures – and it allows dentists and patients to determine the best and most appropriate treatment without any hassle. prior approval.
In addition, there are no upfront fees or annual fees for patients or dentists; no service limitation; no waiting times; no credit card interest, unlike some health care credit cards; no loss of contributions, unlike some health savings accounts; and no lost monthly premiums, unlike discount card plans. Plus, patients never lose their unused benefits.
PayDent’s mission is to make dental care accessible, affordable and hassle-free for everyone.
For patients, PayDent offers a structured way to save money to pay for their dental care. Instead of paying monthly insurance premiums, patients deposit funds – in amounts they choose – into their PayDent accounts, creating savings that will be used to pay for any treatment they want or need. . There are no minimum annual expenses, no surprise premium increases, no lost deposits because they never expire, and no guessing if, or how much, insurance will pay for a proceeding.
For dentists, PayDent eliminates or dramatically reduces many of the most time-consuming and frustrating aspects of dental office operations, including insurance red tape, rejected insurance claims, and stifling service limitations.
How PayDent works
The patients:
• Open a PayDent account for free.
• Contribute money as they decide, either as regular monthly deposits or as lump sums.
• Pay for dental services from their PayDent account at rates 15% lower than the national average cost based on the American Dental Association’s Fee Survey.
If patients already have dental insurance, they can use their PayDent funds to pay for treatments (or parts of a bill) that the insurance doesn’t cover, as well as copayments and deductibles.
Dentists:
• Join PayDent for free.
• See the patient and prescribe treatment. The PayDent app immediately checks the funds available in the patient’s PayDent account to pay for the treatment.
• Immediately after treatment, request that the payment be transferred from the patient’s PayDent account via ACH to their account. There are no complaints to process, no rejections and no processing limits.
• Receive payment for services rendered at 80% of the investigation fees from ADA. Specialist dental practices can bill patients directly for the difference between their fees and the 80% of the ADA price that PayDent pays.
PayDent is fully operational
PayDent was developed and designed with input from experienced dentists and advisors with expertise in business, data analytics and insurance, all of whom continue to advise the company.
After nearly a full year of testing, PayDent is fully operational, serving both patients and dental practices. Dr. Dalia Cepele, dentist in Orland Park, Illinois, with 30 years of experience, uses PayDent and she highly recommends it. She says it’s a win-win for dentists and patients.
“PayDent is very easy to use and simplifies the process,” Cepele said. “We don’t have to worry about filing claims correctly, or whether we’re sending them to the right address or even the right insurance company. It’s great to know that we can enter this into the PayDent app. that we did and get paid for it. Plus, there is no interference in the doctor-patient relationship; we decide what treatment is appropriate, and we do it. “
Cepele says his patients also love PayDent. “The patients I’ve introduced to PayDent are really excited about it. They feel it’s a fair price and appreciate that their money goes directly to pay for their dental care,” she said. “Patients are well aware of the many insurance limitations, and most of them have been burned by insurance companies with denials of coverage. So they like not to hear ‘Your insurance won’t cover this’, and knowing that there is no restriction on what they may have done. “
Patients and dental providers can visit PayDent.com to find out more and register.
PayDent is based in Chicago and is privately held.
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