---
title: "What Is Reimbursement rate? Dental Practice Glossary"
description: "A reimbursement rate is the amount an insurer agrees to pay for a procedure, which may differ from the fee the practice normally charges."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/reimbursement-rate
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Insurance and network

# Reimbursement rate

A reimbursement rate is the amount an insurer agrees to pay for a procedure, which may differ from the fee the practice normally charges.

HealthCare.gov defines the allowed amount as the maximum amount a plan will pay for a covered health care service. The site notes it may also be called an eligible expense, payment allowance or negotiated rate.

For an in-network dentist, the contract sets the rate for each procedure. If a provider charges more than the allowed amount, the patient may have to pay the difference when the contract allows it.

A rate lower than the usual fee leads to a [write-off](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/write-off). Owners compare rates with their cost to deliver care when they consider [PPO participation](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/ppo-participation). See also [dental PPO](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-ppo).

[Next stepPractice consulting with Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting)

## Related terms

-   [Write-off](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/write-off)
-   [PPO participation](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/ppo-participation)
-   [Dental PPO](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-ppo)
-   [Fee schedule](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/fee-schedule)

## Sources

1.  [HealthCare.gov Glossary: Allowed amount](https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/allowed-amount/)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

[Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)