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'Bits and Bites':

Assignment of Benefits

The “assignment of benefits” is when a dental patient instructs an insurance carrier to make a payment of allowable benefits directly to the dentist.
This has obvious appeal to a dental patient because the patient often does not have to pay the dentist up front, and then go through the process of filing a claim with their insurance carrier and wait to get reimbursed.

Many Dental organizations are opposed to assignment of benefits and actively encourage dental plan sponsors to make their dental plans “non-assignment” plans. Many people wonder why organizations such as the Ontario Dental Association would oppose a process that many find convenient.
The answer lies in the fact that "non-assignment" dental plans can be less expensive than those that allow assignment, simply because the act of a patient paying for their dental care makes them financially involved in their oral health care. This provides very a good incentive for the patient to use their dental plan wisely.
Dental claim reimbursement is much faster than it was years ago, and patients are finding that when they pay the dentist directly their reimbursement cheque is received quickly; greatly minimizing the time they are out of pocket. It is not unusual to see the dentist on Monday and have the reimbursement cheque before the end of the week, thanks to electronic claims submission.
Also, many dentists accept credit cards, which typically have a monthly billing cycle. If complex treatment is necessary, dentists can arrange a payment schedule that allows a patient to budget for expenses and get reimbursement that is more conveniently timed.
Active decision-making about oral health care by patients and meaningful involvement in the financial matters of dental care, including the dental plan, is an important part of achieving excellent oral health care.
This simple process has far-reaching benefits. The patient is aware of the cost of the dental service and will be more likely to:

The dangers of assignment are that patients

Above text from Journal of Can Dent Assoc. 1999; 155-8
New Patients (Non Assignment)

You pay us after each appointment. As a courtesy to you, we will complete the Dental Insurance Forms at each appointment so you can mail the forms for prompt payment to your account. When major treatment that requires a predetermined commitment from your insurance company is involved, we would like to complete the Predetermination forms and attach the radiographs for you. We advise waiting for a written commitment from your dental insurance company as to their financial promises to you.

New Guarantor Policy for Passports
The federal government has implemented a new policy that allows most Canadian adults to act as guarantors for passport applications and will likely reduce the amount of requests to dentists to act as professional guarantors. However, the new policy does require guarantors to provide their Canadian passport numbers and dates of issue and expiry as part of the application process. It is your right to choose not to provide this additional information and to not act as a guarantor.
Effective October 1, 2007, an eligible guarantor must be a Canadian citizen 18 years or older; hold a five-year Canadian passport that is valid or has been expired for no more than one year; have been 16 years of age or older when they applied for their own passport; and have known the applicant personally for at least two years.
J can dent assoc 1999; 155-8