About Healthcare Sarasota

Healthcare Sarasota, Inc. was originally formed in 1993 as a Healthcare Coalition by 4 local government entities. Although Healthcare Sarasota no longer functions as a self-insured employer coalition, we still offer the Healthcare Sarasota PPO Dental Network. Healthcare Sarasota has a wide selection of dental providers and specialists in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

Currently Healthcare Sarasota offers a local network of Participating Dental Providers to self-insured dental plans. Healthcare Sarasota acts as the facilitating entity for the self-insured employer and the participating dentists. Employers have total responsibility for processing and payment of claims under their dental plans and all expenses incidental to the dental plans which are administered by a Third Party Administrator (TPA) of their choosing. Therefore, not all dental claims processed in the Healthcare Sarasota PPO Dental Network will be administered by the same TPA. Each TPA should furnish a card to each member and their eligible dependents which will designate who processes the claims for that group and where to send them.

"Self-funding" describes a plan sponsored (claims are funded and paid for) by the employer rather than an insurance company. This has many advantages over conventional fully-insured plans. Self-funded plans put control back into the hands of the employer and employee, allowing employers to be in touch with the health of their employees. (Under a fully-insured program, a monthly premium is paid to an insurance company. The insurance company pays claims and administrative expenses from that premium. The difference between the premium paid and what is not used for administration or claims is profit to the insurance company.)

More information and answers to frequently asked questions can be found on our website or contact us for any information you should need either online or by calling 941-917-1290.