Provider Search States Insurance is Accepted. I call the office and they say it’s not accepted. Why does this happen?

I'm 28, OH, Was making 25k when I was officially employed, now I'm doing contract work and if all goes as it's been going, I'll end the year with about 9.6k made (if I can't find a job w/ health benefits before year end……)

I need a root canal and 2 crowns. I was going to pay out of pocket but it will break me.

I've gone without insurance for the past 8 months after going with 250$ marketplace insurance specifically for dental (for 2 years) that covered absolutely nothing when I tried to use it (caresource vision + dental). A part of the reason I couldn't use it was because of the titled question.

*clarifying 'specifically for dental' – I wanted to have health insurance SO THAT I could visit the dentist regularly. I was excited about marketplace insurance specifically because of the dental benefit. (and dental insurance doesn't cost 250$ so I'm a little salty).

I would search online in the marketplace and it would tell me the provider and office accepted my insurance plan. I made the mistake of not calling, assuming the website was updated and correct, and by the time I went to use the insurance, it wasn't applicable.

It's happening in real time now again.

I'm searching through humana because that's what the dentist recommended I try when I was there last week. I find a plan that has no wait period for class 3 procedures (which is all I need), I search online.

I search the plan name/network. the doctors name. the office they work out of. Each filter I add in, their name is still listed as a provider under that plan.

I call the office….I give them the plan name….the receptionist just says 'If it's not a PPO plan than we don't accept it'. It's a DHMO.

I swear I could scream. On the website it says they accept humana.

All this time (the past 2 years) I always thought you HAD to buy insurance through the marketplace and the only way to get dental on top of that was to bundle through the marketplace. Had I known I could go onto an insurance company's website and buy dental insurance ala carte I would've had cigna 3 years ago and this wouldn't be a problem right now…..

Cigna's plan has a 6month wait period for class 3 procedures. Wish I knew all of this sooner.

If someone has more information as to why I can't manage to properly find an insurance plan using the search options. Maybe that would help me understand how to better find one that's accepted….

submitted by /u/NewfoundOrigin
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