HMO Providers

What you should know about a HMO provider:

“Be Responsible for Your Dental Health By Being An Informed Dental Patient”

1. HMO providers have contracted with insurance companies to provide each procedure of your care for a lesser fee. This means using cheaper materials and lesser quality care for you.
2. You do not get to pick the dentist of your choice. Often a new graduate is caring for HMO patients.
3. The insurance company rather than the dentist is the final judge in how you are cared for.
4. Insurance companies aren’t concerned necessarily about your future dental health or preventive care.
5. Insurance companies are profit motivated. Less costs equal greater corporate profits.
6. To receive better quality material such as gold instead of non-precious metals (often allergic). you will pay higher co-pays.
7. They don’t redo improper results due to the low initial fee charged by HMO providers. Often most patients choose not to return. They eventually pay again to have it done right in a private non HMO office.
8. Interviews with former HMO office employees show excessive and unnecessary care in order to maximize the insurance. This may cause future necessary dental needs.
9. HMO dental offices have to perform more work in your mouth to increase their production.
10. HMO providers are bound by their contract with the insurance companies to care for you according to the insurance company’s limits and constraints, not necessarily consistent with their training, conscience and moral character.
11. New advances and modern microscopic dentistry are not covered nor is the usage of the newer equipment such as dental laser, which is less traumatic and more conservative.