If you’re confused by the alphabet soup of dental and medical terms, you’re not alone. An EOB, also known as an explanation of benefits, is a statement sent to you by your insurance company after you’ve received dental or medical services.
Your EOB gives you a summary of information from your insurance company about how it paid your claim. Most EOBs have the following information:
- Patient’s name – the person who received the services. It may be you or one of your dependents.
- ID number – the number your insurance company has assigned to you. This is also the identifying number on your insurance card.
- Claim number – this number identifies the particular service you received. If you have questions for your insurance company about payment, you will refer to the claim number.
- Provider – this refers to the individual or institution (hospital, laboratory of health care provider, dental office) that performed the services.
- Type and date of service – the EOB will list a code and brief description of the service, along with the date it was performed.
- Charges – the EOB will show what was paid by the insurance company and what you still owe.
An EOB allows you to track your dental and medical expenses throughout the year. You may also be able to determine how much of your annual deductible (the amount of money you pay each year before your insurance company begins to pay) has been met.
If you have questions about your Delta Dental benefits, go here for answers.
