Policies. Important to know about our practice:
FINANCING. When financing is necessary, we are happy to offer several options.If you pay in full at the time of service ( independantly of insurance) we offer a 5% discount off your total charge.We also offer 5% senior discount for people 65+. Our “no interest” option is: pay 50% of the total fee at the time of the appointment, and pay the remaining balance next month.There is a $20 late charge if payments are not received on time.
If you need more time, we offer a second option:CareCredit. If you qualify for CareCredit, we offer two types of payment plans - no interest payment plan and extended payment plan with interest. No interest payment plans extend to 12 months, while extended payment plans range from 24 to 60 months.Many of our patients enjoy this option and it is great when you want cosmetic dentistry or a smile makeover.
Calculate your payment here.
Whatever the option that works best for you - we will help you restore your oral health or offer cosmetic improvements to your smile that you always wanted!
INDEPENDENT. While we work with most PPO insurance plans and utilize our patients’ insurance benefits to their maximum potential, we are not affiliated with insurance companies and their fee schedules. Our treatment planning is based entirely on what is the best up-to-date dental treatment for your condition. We are not affiliated with any pharmaceutical companies and we are not distributors of any technology or product line. We are taking upon ourselves to be an entirely independent dental care provider with one goal in mind: your health and well-being. We believe that being independent helps us achieve superior results, as we have a better response time to new research, modern technologies and materials than the insurance industry and we choose them solely based on their performance in the long-run and their effects on patients’ overall health.
FEES. It is important to know that the fees for dental treatment vary from practice to practice, as most dental practices do not offer the same service and "product". While the price range is often similar, the fee is based on techniques, materials and the complexity of the procedure, which varies based on the individual anatomy of a patient. Our fees are very competitive among practices of similar philosophy in Austin area. Dr. Gotun's personal choice is to remain a selective family practice and see a limited amount of patients to make sure we can dedicate the time and effort to each patient to deliver superior care.
APPOINTMENTS. We never double-book and the appointment time is reserved only for you. There is rarely any waiting at our office. We see all our patients promptly; therefore we ask that you arrive to your appointment early. Please familiarize yourself with our missed appointments policy.
MISSED APPOINTMENTS. Because your appointment time is reserved only for you and Dr.Gotun , we ask for a 48 hours cancellation notice. If you cancel an appointment with less than 48 hours notice, there is a fee of $50. For expensive appointments that are 2 hours or more in length additional rules may apply.
Understanding our financial and insurance policies.
Our policies do not differ much from most dental practices, but we believe it is important that you are informed about them.To make sure you understand our financial and insurance polices, we would like to encourage you to ask questions, and we want you to know that we are ready to work with your individual situation to help you reach your goals of looking great and achieving the best possible long-term dental health.
FIRST VISIT. When you come to our office for your first visit, whether it is an emergency or a regularly scheduled appointment, plan on paying in full for all procedures. We accept cash, checks with proper identification, or credit cards. Our office recognizes Visa, MC, Discover, American Express and CareCredit. Whenever you pay the total amount at the time of service, we extend a 5% courtesy discount (this applies to the first visit and all subsequent appointments as well). With CareCredit, 5% discount does not apply.We also offer a 5% senior discount for people 65+.
CHECKS. If a check is returned unpaid, there is a $25 fee.
INSURANCE CLAIMS AND PAYMENTS. If you have dental insurance, we will confirm the benefits, and file a claim for you electronically at no extra charge. We do not accept HMOs, Medicare or Medicaid and do not file insurance with them. For the first appointment,since we require a payment in full at the time of service, reimbursement will be sent directly to you. Once we have established a working relationship with your insurance carrier, on subsequent visits you have two options with insurance claims. First, you may choose to pay the co-pay based on our computer projection (although this means you’ll miss the 5% savings) and have your carrier reimburse us for the remainder of the fee. Second, you may choose to pay the total fee, receive a 5% discount from us and we will arrange for the insurance to reimburse you directly. If your insurance carrier requires documentation such as x-rays, we provide these directly to the company at no additional cost to you, and we will continue to assist you for up to 90 days in collecting the reimbursement on your claim.
INSURANCE ESTIMATES. Please keep in mind that your dental insurance carrier in most cases pays less than the actual fee for services. Generally, they pay only a certain percentage of the “usual and customary” fees. Insurance companies can change their policies or reimbursements at any time without prior notice, and without notifying us. We are unable to be 100% certain about how much of any visit, or which procedures, your carrier will cover. Coverage depends entirely on the contract between your employer and the insurance company. We are not a part of this contract and have no influence on insurance coverage or policies. We are not within any insurance network, therefore we are not affiliated with insurance companies and their fee schedules. We base our fees entirely on the best dental practices, research and technologies that have proven for him to work the best long-term and that ensure the most effective dental care for our patients. These methods are determined by our philosophy of highest quality comprehensive care and Dr.Gotun’s pursuit of excellence and higher standards within dental community. Ultimately, you are financially responsible for payment of any balance not covered by insurance.
We recognize and appreciate your investment in a healthier future through the services in our practice. We are here for you and we believe that communication is the key. If you have a question about either insurance or financial policies, please call us at (512) 329-5555.
