Skip to main content

Inbox: PPO, HMO, EPO, DMO; What’s the difference?



Hello Everyone, 

From my email: 

My insurance is ending this month. There are so many policies out there..., can you please tell me what to get? What's the difference?

KNM, Lafeyette, CA.


More and more, insurance companies are being selective in the policies that they offer to patients. First, let me take a minute to let you know the difference between PPO, HMO, EPO, DMO, … UGH… it can be frustrating, I know. So, let’s go through them—

1)      HMO: Health Maintenance Organization.

With a HMO plan, your insurance company might require you to pick a dental care provider. All, or most of your services, must go through that provider. Visits to offices that take PPO only will most likely not be covered by your insurance.

2)      PPO: Preferred Provider Organization

PPO Dental offices, such as Oak Grove Dental, give you flexibility. You can most likely choose the dental care provider that best suits you and your family. You don’t need a special referral to go to these offices which is nice. But, the PPO plans usually give patients a choice on where they go to get the best care.

3)      EPO: Exclusive Provider Organization

The exclusive provider organizations usually combine the cost savings of an HMO and the flexibility of a PPO. The only down fall of using an EPO is that the dental network of providers is often limited. The insurance companies require their patients to choose a provider from a very limited network.

4)      DMO: Dental Maintenance Organization

The Dental Maintenance Organization is very, very similar to a HMO. A DMO plan is a low-cost dental maintenance plan. You are given a list of dentists in your area who have contracted to provide dental services at discounted rates. You must choose one of these as your primary care dentist, who will be responsible for your general dental services. If the provider determines that you need to see a specialist, he will refer to one without you incurring extra out-of-pocket expenses.

Wait! Hit the brakes! Some of you might be asking the question: What happens if I don’t have anything? What should I get? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Roughly 40% of people go through every day with the constant worry that they might need some dental care and they don’t have insurance to cover it. This is why at Oak Grove Dental, we take the guess work out of figuring out what plan might work for you. We are carefully designed what we call our “Office Plan”. It is a discount program in which anyone can enroll at any time of the year to make sure their preventive appointments are maintained. And, in most cases, the cost of our program is way below the cost of getting a policy on your own. Hope this helps! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call our office at 925-685-2286. Until then, stay sharp and stay healthy!

Smiles,

Dr. E

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Five Major Benefits of Dental Implants- Don't Wait!!!

FIVE MAJOR BENEFITS OF DENTAL IMPLANTS!!! Don't Wait! Dental Implants Provide Improved Comfort and Functionality Replacing your teeth with an implant-supported restoration enables your dental function to be fully restored. It is the only tooth replacement solution available that is designed to replace the entire tooth from root to crown. An implant-supported restoration is reinforced by dental implants in the jawbone that will keep your remaining teeth from shifting out of place. Unstable teeth can result in dental pain, TMJ disorder, and a host of other issues. By replacing your missing teeth with dental implants, it will preserve your natural alignment. Because nearby teeth are not altered, as with a traditional bridge, you will not experience the dental sensitivity that often follows. Traditional dental bridges are supported by nearby teeth and traditional dentures rest directly on the gums. Both can cause wear and tear on nearby teeth, uncomfortable sores, and b

Types of Candies to Stay Away from on Halloween!

Hello Everyone, I know that it’s tempting to take out that bag of candy and go nuts, but before you dive mouth first into your candy bag, you should take a minute to sort your candy. Some candy might can trick your teeth rather than treating them. That’s because the bacteria in your mouth might be more excited for certain candy than you are.   So, let’s sort through it: Chocolate: If you are indulging on your candy, you can feel some relief that chocolate is probably the best avenue to take for your teeth. There is a benefit that the candy is soft and doesn’t usually impact your teeth. But, dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate because dark chocolate has less sugar. The sticky candies: Oh, let’s just say—be picky if it’s sticky. Dentally speaking, sticky candies are some of the worse to indulge on Halloween.   I can’t tell you how many times patients have called to schedule an appointment the very next day because their sticky candies pulled out a filling

Office Plan, 68 cents a day for dental coverage!