Office Policies & Payment options

First Visit Information
As pediatric dentists, we cater to the unique needs of our patients. If your child has developmental or behavioral issues that may affect his/her ability to accept dental treatment in a clinical setting, please inform us when making appointments. If we are aware of a child’s particular needs, we will make every effort to accommodate them. Please remember that our goal is to become your child’s “dental home” and provide him with comprehensive dental health care. Understanding your child’s unique needs allows us to better serve them.

Regulations prevent us from prescribing medication to anyone who is not a current patient of the practice. Therefore, if your child has a medical condition and is required to take medication before undergoing any dental procedure, including prophylactic cleanings, any medication must be prescribed by your child’s current physician prior to the first visit. After the initial visit, required medication can be prescribed by doctors working in Collins Dentistry for Children.

Appointments
We attempt to schedule appointments at your convenience and when time is available. Preschool children should be seen in the morning because they tend to be more cooperative, and we can work more slowly with the child for their comfort. School children requiring extensive work should be seen in the morning for the same reason. Missing school can be kept to a minimum when regular dental care is continued.

Since appointed times are reserved exclusively for each patient, we ask that you please notify our office 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time if you are unable to keep your appointment. Another patient who needs our care could be scheduled if we have sufficient time to notify them. We realize that emergencies occur, but we ask for your assistance in this regard. If you do not call to cancel and fail to show as scheduled, you may be charged a broken appointment fee of $50.00. If your child misses three (3) consecutive appointments, we may request that you seek dental care at another office that can better accommodate your schedule.

Records/X-Rays
If for any reason you decide to leave our practice, we understand you have the right to request copies of your dental records/x-rays. We can provide you with your case notes free of charge, but there will be a $25.00 fee to duplicate x-rays taken by us. We are licensed by the New Hampshire Board of Radiology to take X-rays, and are required by law to retain originals on file.

Insurance Claims
We file dental insurance as a courtesy to our patients. We do not have a contract with your insurance company, only you do. Therefore, we are not responsible for how your insurance company handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We will assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment, but we cannot guarantee what your insurance will or will not do with each claim. Although we make every attempt to file claims accurately and to resolve errors if they occur, we cannot be responsible for any errors in filing your claims.

What insurance plans do you take?
We currently accept Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Cigna (PPO), Delta, Guardian, Horizon, Humana, Harvard, Metlife, Unicare, United Concordia, New Hampshire Healthy Kids, and MassHealth. (*If you have any questions please call for details). Our office is currently seeking credentials for additional providers and will update this website as the credentialing process is completed. If you have any questions or concerns about your particular insurance plan, do not hesitate to contact the office. As a courtesy to our patients we will be happy to file a claim on your behalf but ultimately the responsibility for payment of the claim belongs to the patients.

Please keep us informed of any insurance changes such as policy name, insurance company address, or a change of employment status.

*IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT INSURANCE COVERAGE: Insurance providers we work with may change at any time and without notice. If you have any questions regarding your insurance provider, please contact our office at (603) 635-1166. Thank you.

Co-Payment
You may have noticed that sometimes your dental insurer reimburses you or our office at a lower rate than the actual fee incurred. Frequently, insurance companies state that the reimbursement was reduced because the fee has exceeded the usual, customary, or reasonable fee (“UCR”) used by the insurance company. The data used to establish fees may be dated and are set by the insurance company so they can make a profit, too.

Insurance companies set their own schedules, and each company uses a different set of fees. These allowable fees may vary widely because each company collects fee information from claims it processes. The insurance company then uses this data to establish their fee schedule. Depending on the type of insurance you have and the exact nature of the plan, you may be responsible for the difference in what the insurance company pays and the fee assessed for services provided.

Payment is expected at the time services are provided by the person(s) accompanying the patient unless other arrangements have been made with our office in advance. In the event reimbursement is expected from a third party, it is the responsibility of the person(s) making the appointment and bringing the patient to the office to pay for services rendered and seek reimbursement from third parties. Collins Dentistry for Children will not be responsible for seeking payment from third parties.

Additional Financial Information
Dental insurance is meant to be an aid in receiving dental care. On average, most dental insurance plans pay between 50%-80% of the average total fee. Some plans pay more, some pay less. The percentage paid may be determined by how much you or your employer has paid for coverage or the type of contract your employer has set up with the insurance company.

If we have received all of your insurance information on the day of the appointment, we will be happy to file your claim for you. You should be familiar with your insurance benefits, as we will collect from you the estimated amount insurance is not expected to pay. By law your insurance company is required to pay each claim within 30 days of receipt. We file claims in a manner such that your insurance company will receive claims within days of the treatment. You are responsible for any balance on your account after 30 days, whether insurance has paid or not. If you have not paid your balance within 60 days, a finance charge may be added to your account each month until paid. If you have not made payment arrangements with our office within 90 days of services being provided, your account may be frozen and referred for collection. Once referred for collection, further services will not be provided until the outstanding balance is paid. In the event payment cannot be made in full within the above referenced time frames, please call the office to discuss alternative payment plans. We will make every attempt to accommodate your situation.

Which credit cards do you accept?
Our office accepts Visa and MasterCard cards, as well as debit cards which bear the Visa or MasterCard logo.

What kind of payment plans do you have?
We expect all patient portions and deductibles to be paid when service is provided. We implemented and enforce this policy to keep costs down for each of our patients. Prior to treatment, our staff will provide an estimate of the treatment costs or co-pay. Usually the co-pay is a close estimate but in some cases an additional amount will be due. In the event extensive treatment plans are required, financial arrangements can be discussed.

Do you offer any financing options?
As a service to our patients, we are pleased to offer the CareCredit card, the nation's leading patient payment program. With CareCredit you can finance 100% of your dental care and there are no upfront costs, no annual fees, and no pre-payment penalties. So, you can begin your treatment today and conveniently pay with low, monthly payments.

More about CareCredit financing
As a service to our patients, we are pleased to offer the CareCredit card, the nation's leading patient payment program. With CareCredit you can finance 100% of your dental care and there are no upfront costs, no annual fees, and no pre-payment penalties. So, you can begin your treatment today and conveniently pay with low monthly payments.

CareCredit offers a full range of payment plans so you can find one that works best for you. With the popular No Interest Payment Plans* there are no interest charges if you pay your balance in full within the specified time period. Monthly payments can be as low as 3% of your balance. For procedure fees from $1,500 to $25,000, CareCredit offers 24, 36, or 48 month plan options with low monthly payments available.

CareCredit can be used by the whole family for ongoing treatment without having to reapply. And by using CareCredit for your dental care, you can save your other credit cards for household or unplanned expenses. It only takes a few minutes to apply for CareCredit and you'll receive an online decision in seconds! Apply Now or speak with our staff for more details.

Terms and conditions

No Interest Payment Plans
- 3, 6, & 12 month plan options (Click for details)
- No interest if the balance is paid within the specified time period
- Low minimum monthly payments

Extended Payment Plans
- 24, 36, & 48 month plan options (Click for details)
- For procedure fees from $1,500 to over $25,000
- 12.96% interest rate
- Monthly payments as low as $41 for a $1,500 fee balance