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If there's a way to save money, you can bet the insurance companies will be interested…
Dental tourism has become increasingly popular lately, especially with consumers feeling the pinch of the recession. Mexican clinics target US patients. Eastern European practices treat British nationals. It's big business these days, with Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia offering low-cost dental care to international patients.
We talked recently about how a British company is offering limited dental vacation insurance to protect patients from medical mishaps while they're out of the country. Well, an American insurance company has now upped the ante!
Based in South Carolina, Companion Life Insurance Co. offers standard insurance products – and now, a little something more for dental patients.
They are adding an "international treatment option" to every one of their US dental plans.
"International Treatment Option"
Here's what that means: Companion has added three Costa Rica dental clinics to their network.
An offshoot company, Companion Global Dental, will make all travel and treatment arrangements for American patients who want to go to Costa Rica to save money on dental care.
"Do you need dental work? If you’ve priced it lately, it may have come as quite a shock. Companion Global Dental is your gateway to affordable dental care. We give you access to dental services in Costa Rica, where you can get dental care at a fraction of the cost you would at home."
It's the standard dental tourism pitch — but this time it's coming from an American insurance company!
In a press release, Companion Life's vice president of field marketing, J.C.Preas, said:
"We believe we are the first national dental insurer to provide international travel and care as a value-added option on all of our policies. This option willallow our members to get the dental treatment they need at a credentialedfacility, to save significantly on out-of-pocket costs, and even combine anexciting vacation with their dental treatment."
Doctor, you probably provide excellent quality of care, but you cannot compete with the prices offered by international dentists.
And I know many dentists have no love lost for insurance companies… But take a moment to imagine: What would happen if all dental insurance companies decided to encourage patients to become dental tourists?
Dental tourism has the potential to change the face of dentistry as we know it. No longer are your competitors located within driving distance… Your competition will be across the entire world.
Visit the Companion Global Dental website
Post a comment
November 10th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dental Assistant, Karen Lopez. Karen Lopez said: Dental Tourism Now Covered by US Dental Insurance Plans! http://bit.ly/cL5dw [...]
November 11th, 2009 at 7:35 am
To me this is disgusting. My MD friend called the other day to find that the radiologist reading his radiograph and discussing the findings was in Australia. My question is what is the ADA doing to curtail the difficiult situation we have dealing with insurance companies. Dealing with these insurance companies increases our costs while they are decreasing or making an attempt to decrease our fees. The person making the profit in dentistry should be the person at the point of the service. The dentists are the ones providing the service and shoud be compensated fairly for that service. When the insurance companies try to send patients out of the country or discredit the fees patients pay to their dentist it is clear that they are only interested in one thing. Profits. If the insurance companies really have their patients best interest in mind they would be more interested in what kind of quality are their clients getting. These insurance companies need to stop pushing patients to the least expensive alternative dentist or fee. What can be done. Can organized dentistry do something about the offenses being perpetrated on our profession without being accused of restriction of trade. Is there a strategy out there in organized dentistry to address these concerns. As dentists we feel we have lost control of our destiny. It used to be if you did a great job people came to see you and that was the way most patients found you and the best way. Although that still happens it doesn’t happen at the rate that it should. I have dear friends and people that I have great relationships with that actually say they would come to see me but I’m not on their provider list. Have you seen the fees that are paid for services to dentists that contract with these insurance PPO’s. Can anyone suggest that they can do a quality job for their patients at the fees they have contracted for. I saw a prophy fee the other day for $48. My Hygienist is paid $38. Do I have to say any more. When you take the profit out of what you do does anyone think they can be happy in their chosen profession. I say rise up denists and demand from our organized dental organizations some action as an organized body or stop paying their dues. Money seems to make things happen.
A frustrated dentist
Dr. John C. Workman
November 11th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Which foreign insurance companies pay for dental work performed on patients coming into the US to have it performed rather than in other countries?
November 11th, 2009 at 10:49 am
A very informative article. I hope we can see more like this. Remarkable development though by nature orthodontic treatment will always be local business limited by driving distance because of the ongoing adjustments required. There is dental tourism for braces along the U.S./Mexican border according to http://www.price-of-braces.com/dental-tourism-dental-vacation-dental-vacations.php along with prices. There are also some interesting statistics on dental tourism at http://www.dentistry-statistics.com/dental-tourism-dental-vacation.php One wonders what would happen to dental tourism if there were a national dental insurance bill with a public option.
Richard
November 11th, 2009 at 11:32 am
This is outsourcing at it’s best, Big corporation are using it with great success to their share holders,(unemployment is not 10.2, it is much higher) and that’s why we are in a recession to start with, the jobs are all sent outside in the name of open market, unions don’t get it and companies must survive, This is coming to dentistry as well unless we do something about it, lucky we have no union yet!
I had a patient who went to .. , got her implants done, then went back a second time and got her crowns, needless to say I refused to service the treatment,I refuse even to clean her teeth because I don’t want to own her potential problems and subsequent liability. What will happen when things start going bad, let them go back and deal with it. I guess her insurance paid for part of the treatment, Cigna. I bet all insurance companies pay when they receive the bill.
When enough dentists refuse to service and maintain the substandard jobs we will find out if these insurance companies will fly their customers every 6 month to Costa Rica for maintenance.!
It will be the day when the ADA and/or the state board start mandating that insurance companies must contract only with a certified billing dentist approved by the board.
November 11th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
A few weeks ago a young man in his forties got serious space infection and died in a local hospital. He went across the border to get his dental work done. He saved some money, at the cost of his life. I called the local dental society, hoping to have a reporter do some investigation and write a report, but they could not help. I hope ADA can do something to stop the trend.
November 14th, 2009 at 11:03 am
[...] Dental Tourism Now Covered by US Dental Insurance Plans! The Wealthy Dentist reported in this post that a US dental insurance company is now offering an [...]
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Credentialed facility? by whose standard? I’m sure it’s just like looking at some HMO’s list of providers, many of whom I wouldn’t send my family to. Some may be good but you’ll never know until after the treatment has been performed and by then if it’s substandard, it’s too late. Let the buyer beware!
February 28th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Thankfully, we are being reimbursed by our dental insurance company for much of the dental work we needed to have done – and we did it in a brand new clinic in Costa Rica, smile90210costarica.com.
While that clinic is not one of the three clinics recommended by Companion Global Dental, we are all very pleased with our dental work. This clinic is brand new – as of 11/09 and is affiliated with a very large american owned lab in costa rica & does amazing work at a price that is affordable. THANKS TO THEM, MY MOUTH IS COMPLETELY METAL FREE AND MY TEETH ARE FAKE DIAMONDS!
Because of poor dental work I received here, in the United States, my entire mouth needed to be reconstructed – and was. I received 9 laser root canals, 12 zirconium posts and 29 zirconium (brand name) crowns & bridges. My husband had his necessary dental work done, as well as a little cosmetic dentistry; as did my mother-in-law.
We all receieved state-of-the-art world-class dental care at smile90210costarica.com. They arranged our airport transportation and we had a private concierge that drove us where we needed to go.
If you are considering dental tourism to Costa Rica, be sure to contact Mike, the owner, and find out what they offer you. You will be pleasantly surprised.
The government of Costa Rica sets minimum prices for most dental procedures done by their licensed dentists – and so it is affordable for costa ricans and for americans or others traveling to costa rica for good dental work.
i hope that in the near future, companion global dental, will recommend smile90210costarica.com.
February 28th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
ps: just wanted to mention that the clinics that companion global dental recommends in costa rica – and the patient they feature, received metal restorations – PFM. i, specifically, wanted all of the old amalgam & metal removed from my mouth and brand name german zirconium.
the fact that those clinics featured mostly patients who received PFM restorations, helped me decide to look elsewhere in costa rica for my dental work; but i did find useful information from them. also, i like making my own travel arrangements & since Spirit Air frequently offers $9 fares to San Jose from Fort Lauderdale, i chose that route.