Approaching the right question from the right direction can save you money.

Case in point: Delta Dental’s dentist networks.

Let’s suppose you have Delta Dental and need to go the dentist. In the old days, you might have gone to the Yellow Pages, found some dentists close by, and started calling to find out if they were in your plan’s network.

Even today, out-of-network dentists might reply, “We accept all insurance,” but that doesn’t answer the question. They may accept insurance, but your out-of-pocket costs can be significantly higher when you see an out-of-network dentist. The difference can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars. 

Similarly, a Delta Dental Premier dentist could say, “We’re a network dentist with Delta Dental” – which is true, but if your plan includes a Delta Dental PPO option, you’ll receive your best benefit when you see a Delta Dental PPO dentist.

You can see how calling around is an inconsistent and inefficient way of finding a Delta Dental network dentist.

Here’s a better approach: Use Delta Dental’s website and online dentist finder (www.deltadentalwi.com/provider-search/dental) to find a dentist.

The website tells you your benefits, and helps point out how you can benefit from seeing a Delta Dental PPO provider.

The dentist finder clearly shows the network affiliation(s) or each listed provider, and the maps let you pinpoint their location – and if you supply your street address, they even include driving directions!

This sort of high-quality information helps consumers make good choices.

So let’s segue to Delta Dental’s networks, and the differences between them.

Delta Dental of Wisconsin has two dentist networks to choose from. The Delta Dental Premier network is Wisconsin’s largest dentist network, and the Delta Dental PPO is Wisconsin’s second-largest network. (The situation is much the same nationally.) Together they save Wisconsin-based groups millions of dollars – almost $80 million in 2012 – and deliver the largest effective discount of any Wisconsin dental carrier.

One of the best things about this is that if a dentist isn’t in the Delta Dental PPO network, they’re probably in the Delta Dental Premier network. You save a little less, but you get treatment guarantees — and you don’t get charged more than the agreed-upon fee, no matter what the dentist charges.

Here’s an example of how that translates into dollars and cents: 

*Approximate fees and percentages for illustrative purposes

The Delta Dental Premier network (if your plan includes it) is a great safety net.  With other dental-insurance companies, if you don’t see a PPO dentist, you pay more – sometimes a lot more – and it’s a big hassle.

Ninety percent of Wisconsin dentists are in a Delta Dental network, so chances are you’ll save money every time you see the dentist — no matter what dentist you see. But think of the extra you’ll save if you see a Delta Dental PPO dentist.

Being a savvy consumer is more important than ever. And while it starts with asking the right questions, it’s evolved into finding the right answers – and with the new website, it’s easier than ever.

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