Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield dental, sorted out.
We're in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield dental PPO plans at Soleil Dental in Oak Lawn. Blue plans can be confusing because medical and dental coverage often live on different cards, so here's what to look for and what to send us.
- Our status
- In network, BCBS dental PPO
- Watch for
- A separate dental card
- Near
- UT Southwestern, on Maple Ave
Do you take Blue Cross Blue Shield dental insurance?
Yes. We're in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield dental PPO plans. Here in Texas, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas offers dental plans, and Blue plans from other states can work at our office too, depending on how they're set up.
Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't one company. It's an association of independent companies, each covering its own area. Your card names the company that issued it, and that tells us where to look up your benefits.
Your medical card isn't always your dental card
This trips up a lot of people with Blue plans. Many have Blue Cross Blue Shield for medical and a different company, or no plan at all, for dental. Others have Blue dental coverage, but on its own card. And some Blue dental plans are run day to day by a partner company, so a different name may show up on your card or on the claim paperwork.
The quick test: look for the word dental on the card, or check the benefits summary from your last open enrollment. Still not sure? Text us photos of every insurance card you have and we'll figure out which one is your dental plan.
What do Blue dental PPO plans usually cover?
Plans vary by employer and by state. Common patterns:
- Preventive visits, often covered at a high percentage, commonly twice a year.
- Basic care after a deductible, with the percentage set by your plan.
- Major care like crowns at a lower share, counted against your annual maximum.
- Gum treatment, which may count as basic or major care depending on the plan.
Gum care: the part worth a closer look
If your gums bleed or the exam shows signs of gum disease, the usual twice-a-year cleaning may not be enough. You may need a deep cleaning, called scaling and root planing, and then maintenance cleanings every few months instead of every six.
Plans handle those visits in different ways. Some count maintenance cleanings toward your two cleanings a year, some allow extra visits, and some pay them at a different percentage. We check your Blue plan's rules before we schedule, so you know what you'll owe before the first appointment, not after.
Close to UT Southwestern and the Medical District
Our office is at 4807 Maple Ave, Suite 300, near UT Southwestern Medical Center and across the street from Kroger. It's a ground-level storefront with parking out front, and we're open Tuesday 9 to 3 and Wednesday to Friday 10 to 5.
If you work nearby, tell the front desk the time window that works for you when you book, and we'll look for a slot that fits.
Paying your share with an HSA or FSA
If your Blue medical plan comes with a health savings account (HSA), or you have a flexible spending account (FSA) through work, you can generally use those funds for your share of dental care: deductibles, coinsurance and treatment your dental plan doesn't cover. Purely cosmetic treatment, like whitening, usually doesn't qualify.
Check your account's rules first, and ask the front desk for an itemized receipt if your account needs one.
What to send us
- Photos of the front and back of your dental card, and your medical card too if you're not sure which is which.
- The name and date of birth of the person the plan is under.
- Your employer or group name.
- Your plan's start date, if you just enrolled.
We'll check that the plan is active, what's left of your annual maximum, your deductible and any waiting periods, then walk you through it before treatment. After your visit, we send the claim to your Blue plan, or to the company that handles its dental claims. If the explanation of benefits doesn't match what we estimated, call us and we'll go through it line by line.
Questions