Financial policy
Dental fees:
Unlike Medicare, dental fees are not subsidised by the Federal Government, as a general rule, the dental practice has to pay out approximately 75% of all fees received in the overhead costs of running the practice, if this practice tries to cut these costs to lower the fees you pay, there is a danger that the quality of your treatment may be compromised. The fees charged in this practice are kept as low as possible whilst still providing care of the highest quality. There is no comfort in providing cheap dentistry if it means a lower quality of care for patients. The best way to lower your dental costs is to prevent dental decay and gum disease in the first place. Regular check-ups are a relatively inexpensive way to avoid higher costs.
If you would like to know the costs of treatment prior to your treatment, please ask the Dentist to provide this at the initial consultation appointment. Please note that Dentists can only provide estimates based on their findings at the initial consultation stage. However, due to the fact that the mouth is a biological environment and different individuals react differently to dental treatment. Hence, costs may vary if further complications occur when the procedure is being undertaken.
Payment is due on the day of treatment.
The parent that accompanies the minor child/children to the appointment is responsible for any payment due.
If dentures, partial dentures, crown and bridge are to be fabricated by a dental laboratory, a 50% deposit will be required at the time of the first impression. The remaining balance is due at the time the prosthesis is cemented or inserted.
Our office will file insurance claims for you, using our “claim on the spot “Hicaps facility. However, our office does not guarantee payment or coverage by your insurance company. Dental insurance usually pays only a portion of your charges and we urge you to be fully aware of the provisions of your dental plan's policy.
Cash, VISA, and MasterCard and Cheque are acceptable methods of payment.
If you do not have Private Dental Insurance or are unable to finance your treatment, we can arrange HUMM for your dental needs; details are given below.
Thank you for choosing our office for your dental needs. Obtaining dental treatment is very important for your overall health, but using dental insurance can be confusing. Our financial policies are designed to help patients and make filing claims easy. Our office is committed to providing you with the best possible care.
Please understand that payment of your bill is considered as part of your treatment.
Appointment Cancellation Policy
Since time with our patients is very precious, and lost time is irretrievable, we must charge for cancelled appointments when we have not been notified at least 48 hours in advance. Our charge for 'appointments cancelled at short notice' is $100.00. Our desire is never to find it necessary to make this charge. Please keep your appointment. We are waiting for you.
We would be happy to discuss our charges and how they relate to your particular situation. We also realize that temporary financial situations may affect timely payment of your account. If such problems do arise, we encourage you to contact us promptly for assistance in the management of your account.
Thank you for understanding our Financial Policy. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme and Teen Dental-
WPD treats patients at Rebate only with NO OUT-OF-POCKET expense.
Medicare Chronic disease dental scheme allows chronically ill people who are being managed by their GP under an Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) plan access to Medicare rebates for dental services.
Medicare Teen Dental Plan to help with the cost of an annual preventative dental check. The program aims to make it more affordable for families to keep their teenager’s teeth in good health.
Veterans Affairs
We accept the DVA Gold or White Card, with mostly NO OUT-OF-POCKET expense.
There is an annual monetary limit to Major Dental.
Payment plans
National Dental Plan is a flexible funding plan specifically designed for the payment of dental and medical treatment. It can be used to pay for most treatments and procedures. For those who have Private Health Insurance, National Dental Plan is an excellent option to help pay for the gap, excess and co-payments or for those procedures that are not covered by Private Health Insurance.
NDP plan can assist those people who do not have Private Health Insurance.
Gumala Aboriginal - Member plans also accepted
Health Funds / Private Health Insurance (please check the health Insurance page for links and more details)
When you take out health insurance to cover you for dental fees, you should be aware that:
Each health fund determines what level of rebates it will pay based on individual level of cover.
The rebates payable on dental fees are likely to range between 50% to 100%.
As a service to our patients,and as part of our continued commitment to excellent yet affordable dental care, our practice has an arrangement with Health Insurance companies as listed below.
Woodvale Park Dental is a HBF Preferred Provider, MEDIBANK PRIVATE First Choice, NIB, CBHS Choice network and HCF More for teeth program.
We are also a providers for Veterans Affairs, Medicare Dental Scheme and Teen Dental.
Our accounting staff will prepare all the necessary forms for your dental benefits. However, we remind you that your specific policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company. Please keep in mind that you are responsible for your total obligation should your insurance benefits result in less coverage than anticipated. Our staff will gladly provide you with a pre-treatment estimate for your insurance company so that you will know in advance from your insurance what your benefits will be. Your policy may base its allowances on a fixed fee schedule. You should be aware that different insurance companies vary greatly in the types of coverage available. This may entitle you to receive up to 100% rebate on Preventative Dentistry and up to 90% rebate on General and Major Dentistry.
That's less out-of-pocket expense.
Woodvale Park Dental accepts all health funds and has the convenient facility of a HICAPS (claim on the spot) machine.