One of the most important issues to protect a patient’s privacy and collect the most amount from your insurance is to make sure we keep up to date with our patient’s data. In order to do that many times we will ask for you to provide us with an identification card, insurance card, or update our privacy forms. This is why we ask you to provide this information at each appointment. I wanted to take a minute to explain why we do these things and how they benefit our patients: Identification Cards: ID Cards are one of the best ways to protect our patient’s privacy and maximize their insurance benefits. By keeping an ID on file we have a reference for that person as well as their signature. If someone ever came to the office claiming to be someone they are not they could possible steal your information. Furthermore, having an ID on file can sometimes help us file claims faster with insurance if there is any missing information in the chart Insurance Cards: Many people may work at one company for many years and see their dental benefits change almost annually. Not only do companies change dental insurance providers, they also can change plan types, benefit levels, and even the type of services covered! Finally, the date on when your insurance “renews” also changes. Previously almost all insurances followed the calendar year January to December, but now these changes can happen at almost any time. By collecting this information and being able to verify your benefits we make sure you get what you deserve! Updated Forms: Perhaps the most important form in our office is the Patient Privacy form. It allows us to discuss treatment with you as well as any other people you may want (spouses, children, parents, etc) but, we must have explicit permission to do so. On top of that, we want you to know that we take your data and your privacy seriously and want to protect you from any one stealing your data and this part of that process. Thank you for understanding why we ask for this information. It may sometimes seem strange or invasive but everything we do and will always do is for the benefit of our patients and to make your dental experience as safe and secure as possible!