Western Dental Services Inc

Previously filed with Revdex.com in May/June 2015 in regards to illegal collections practices of Western Dental's Corporate Office. I received and agreed to a settlement regarding the alleged $334.00 Western Dental was attempting to charge me for services not rendered. Western Dental agreed to waive any alleged balance as part of the agreement and honor my request dated May 27, 2015 to cease and desist all communication in which they previously violated. On August 1, 2015 Western Dental again sent the same alleged balance to a outside collections agency, HP Sears in Bakersfield, CA. I have several attempts to include in person, writing and by phone to resolve this matter. This includes offering to provide a copy of the settlement agreement and contact information for [redacted] (Western Dental Legal Department). The only response received in continuously being transferred to the corporate collection whom in return transfers me to the outside collections agency. I've left message for [redacted], CEO, [redacted], [redacted], General Counsel and [redacted] and not received any return calls.Desired Resolution:Explanation of Charges Reimbursement for lost earning Correction to credit report and credit monitoring for 3 years Damages for emotional and physical frustrations

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") is in receipt of the Revdex.com's inquiry regarding this case.Please note that patient's concerns have been forwarded as a formal complaint and a written response will be mailed to the patient within 30 days from today's date.   Patient was contacted to address her concerns and was informed that a formal grievance was opened on her behalf, patient understood the grievance process and agreed to wait 30 days for a resolution to her complaint.

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") is in receipt of the Revdex.com's inquiry regarding this case.Please note that responsible party concerns have been forwarded as a formal complaint and a written response will be mailed within 30 days from today's date.  The Grievance Committee will review case and provide responsible party with a resolution letter on or before 05/03/15.

Attn:  [redacted]I am writing to let you know that I was contacted by Western Dental corporate offices in connection with the above-referenced case.I was told that they were in the process of issuing a refund of $282.00 (of the $340.00 I originally paid) and that I would receive the check in 10 to 15 days.Thank you so much for your assistance.  I am confident that, without your quick response and help, I would not have received a refund. Revdex.com = Thumbs UP!! [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.See my response attached
There
has not been any updates to my Credit at 8/18/15. WDS is not listed
as a creditor, only as hard collection inquiry(negative)
Is
this going to deleted from
[redacted] based on #3 below.
2015
WDS billing rep states they make soft
inquiries not hard credit
inquiries per highlighted.
It
states “collection” on
date of service 12/06/14
(Inaccurate reporting
statement, which will be reported to [redacted])

It
is viewed by credit report inquiries as a collection inquiry
(negative)
Since,
payment was offered denied, and paid immediately upon billing May
2015, It should not be in credit report at
all.
So
why is WDS stating “updating my credit etc. for a delayed improper
billing on their part? Hard inquiry should be deleted.
]
Regards,
[redacted]

I signed both plan and non plan forms. I did not use any type of insurance plan I paid via cash and credit card. Thank you!(Please see four attached files)

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") appreciates the opportunity to address the concerns filed by the patient with the Business Bureau. We understand that patient has been wearing dentures for 20 years, therefore due to the amount of years that patient has been wearing dentures her dental condition has also changed from 20 years ago. As noted in previous email patient is both encouraged, and is welcomed to return to the office for evaluation and the performance of any treatment which is necessary. Records show that patient has not returned to the office or scheduled and appointment to be seen, the office is not refusing to see patient.   Office is aware that patient will be returning to the office for a evaluation of her treatment.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Just wondering if I could have a couple more days so I can get in contact with the dental provider who done my root canal?
Regards,
[redacted]

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") appreciates the opportunity to address the concerns filed by the patient with the Business Bureau.When patient first presented to the office in 2008 he did contract for extractions, however patient did not have the extraction completed.  Patient had a credit on his account.  An amount of $251.70 was transferred to patient's wife account on 6/15/2009, still leaving patient with a credit. Patient then returned on 6/23/2009 to add more treatment.  Patient signed a contract for new treatment and treatment was completed.  Patient's insurance did not pay for the entire treatment for 2009 due to insurance maxing out.  The credit left on the account from 2008 was applied to the 2009 balance due to insurance short fall, therefore no billing statements where generated to bill patient for insurance underpayment.   In the contract that patient signed it indicates insurance benefits are estimated and patient's actual insurance benefit and patient share may be different.  Patient is responsible for payment for all services.  An itemized statement was mailed to patient reflecting all treatment completed and payments applied to his account.  Patient was also provided with Explanation of Benefits from his insurance company in 2009 indicating that he had maxed out and patient would be responsible.  Patient is responsible in obtaining additional copies of his Explanation of Benefits thru his insurance company.  The itemized statement will confirm to the patient that although his credit of 2008 was applied towards his 2009 balance there was still a remaining balance of $554.30.  Due to the statue of limitations that would not allow us to bill the patient, the remaining balance of $554.30 was adjusted off as good will leaving patient's account at a zero balance.

As stated in WDS’ previous response to the Revdex.com, WDS has
reached out to the patient to address the reported concerns and has
communicated the need to first receive a completed authorization form before
any information can be shared with the Revdex.com. Upon receipt of the completed
forms, a response will be provided to the Revdex.com.

I would like to add that on Saturday 03/28/2015, I ran into my former landlord and was told there
was some correspondence and wnated to know if they were mine. The
correspondnce was sent to my former address of 4650 bell avenue, Bell CA
90201 and they were under my dad's name [redacted]. My...

father
co-signed for me in 2012 for a treatment but did not co signed for me
for the treatment rendered in 2014. I specifically made sure he wasn't
included. Western dental has my current address of 6524 miramonte blvd,
which i've lived in since December 2013. I do not understand why they
mailed collection notices to my old address and under my father's name. I
have a refund check that was mailed to me on 07/14/2014 to 6524
miramonte blvd los angeles ca 90001. This is proof that they had my
current address and mistakenly mailed collection notices to the wrong
address. I have copies of all the mailed correspondence as proof that I
was not notified. Now I fear this will affect my father's high credit
score due to their negligence. I have asked them multiple times to
remove me from collections since it is affecting my credit and they
either hang up on me or tell me someone will follow up. This has cause
emotional distress on my part since I've felt helpless as to what they
choose to report. Please view the attached claim information that states my due amount for the services, the check that was mailed to me by Western dental to my CURRENT address on 07/14/2014 and the collection letters mailed to my old address that was addressed to my father [redacted]. My father never agreed to cosign for these procedures and I am not a minor, there is no reason why these letters should of been sent to an old address, this violates my rights acording to the FCRA that states Creditor must provide a collection notification. Western dental had my current address yet failed to sent the necesary information to me. Also, Please view the lettere I received from my previous insurance company that states that western dental over charged y copays in 2012. I've also attached the payment receipt from my bank where it states I paid western dental in advance for treatment rendered after 07/14/2014. I will add the copy of my insurance fee schedule where you can match the copays to the procedure codes. I've made their representatives aware that their system is charging more for copays than the allowed amounts but nothing was done to correct this.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.MESSAGE FROM BUSINESS:Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") is in receipt of the Revdex.com's inquiry regarding this case.  Western Dental sincerely apologizes for and dissatisfaction and any inconvenience that this matter may have caused patient.When patient first presented to the office she was provided with her diagnosis and the different treatment options in regards to her insurance coverage.  Company policy is confirm insurance benefits and advise patient's of coverage based on the insurance benefits.  Patient was informed of the difference between Amalgam fillings and Resin fillings, therefore a refund is not warranted. Due to insurance HMO guidelines if patient wishes to file a formal complaint, patient would need to contact her insurance company directly.  At that time, patient's insurance company y will contact us directly and any pertinent information will be forwarded to the insurance company for review as they will determine the outcome of the complaint. If the employee had explained the difference between the resin and amalgam fillings and also the insurance benefits then the endless phone calls to the insurance company and Western Dental would not have been needed to try and understand the bill or the work done.  Clearly this has become my word against the employee's. But I still hold true, that the employee did not explain the different types of fillings or the insurance benefits at all.  It's shame that the employee continues to lie about the events that took place.  If he would have done his job properly and followed company policy, then this complaint would never have happened.
Regards,
[redacted]

WDS is in receipt of the complaint submitted and has taken the necessary steps in addressing the concerns directly with the patient. The patient has been advised of the need to first receive a completed WDS Services Authorization form and one was provided to the patient on July 25, 2017. Upon...

receipt of the completed form, WDS will forward any pertinent information regarding the case and resolution to the Revdex.com. The patient is welcome to contact the Inquiry Response Unit at [redacted] for assistance.

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") is in receipt of the Revdex.com's inquiry regarding this case.
After further review of account it has been determined that patient is not due a refund from Western Dental.  Please see attached letter from patient's insurance dated July 29,...

2014.  Patient's plan informed patient that it did not find Western Dental at fault in determining her coverage and acted in good faith.  The unusual condition of missing 2 teeth but only requiring a replacement for one of those teeth led to the miscommunication between the Plan and Western Dental.  The plan found no evidence that Western Dental ever intended to charge patient incorrectly. The Cosmetic Benefit Rider bridge fees would apply.  
Patient was refunded $ 592.00 by her plan for money that patient had not paid Western Dental.  It was confirmed with patient's plan that patient will still responsible in paying Western Dental for services rendered, refund was confirmed by the insurance company. 
Attached is a revised itemized statement reflecting the treatment completed, payments, and any adjustments.  Patient has a remaining balance of $240.00. If patient disagrees she would need to contact her insurance company for clarification.  Western Dental sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience that this matter may have cause patient.

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") is in receipt of the Revdex.com's inquiry regarding this case.  Please note that as indicated in our previous response to the Revdex.com, protecting member information is not only our company policy - federal law now requires it.  That is why we...

must first get a release of health information from our patient authorizing us to disclose any information regarding this case.  WDS requires that patient complete and sign the "Western Dental Services Authorization Form"   As a result, WDS responded directly to the patient regarding this matter on 2/20/15.  However, as soon as the signed release is received by WDS, we will forward any pertinent information to the Revdex.com.The release form provided is blank and has not been completed by patient.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This is unabashedly the furthest it could be from the truth, please see below continued email thread. I have gone ahead and contacted the bank my HSA is with and communicated with their fraud department to force a refund on WD considering they are being unruly, uncooperative and unapologetic. If it weren't for the Revdex.com contacting WD again, they had already broken communication with me and would no longer respond to my emails. Unfortunately they refused to acknowledge the errors they made, are changing their story and covering up their mistakes, and still refused to submit the refund the way I had asked 4 months ago.They first claimed they didn't submit my claim, [redacted] confirmed they had no record of it being submitted although they did receive the original request for it. They now claim that it was submitted but it was transcribed at their office incorrectly although the cost isn't similar, they then would not have to resubmit their claim to [redacted] again as they are doing.[redacted]@yahoo.com To[redacted]@westerndental.comApr 14 at 4:56 PMObviously their is no interest from Western Dental to make this right. You have been of very little help, and this has been the 3rd incorrect refund I've been offered. First an approximately $70 refund, then approximately $85 and now approximately $95.[redacted] is well aware of this issue, and the new calculated values are the costs of the procedure if it were to be accurately submitted. Western Dental incorrectly filed my claim, it is no longer a refund for a standard claim. Western Dental took it upon themselves to establish their own cost for the procedure even if it were a clerical error, I am holding Western Dental to that original cost on the invoice.Please let the Revdex.com know that you were unable to resolve the complaint.[redacted]Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Smartphone------ Original message------From: J[redacted]Date: Thu, Apr 13, 2017 1:09 PMTo: [redacted];Subject:RE: Revdex.com Complaint #[redacted]Mr. [redacted], Your insurance coverage is based off of a fee schedule and it is not determined by an insurance benefit percentage (e.g. 90% of treatment cost). I recommend that you contact your dental plan and if needed, provide them with a copy of the itemized statement WDS has provided so that they may work toward addressing any further questions you may have related to your coverage and patient share. As previously stated, we are required to request that you report your concerns directly to your DHMO plan provider. This will be my final response to this matter. Kind regards, [redacted]Inquiry Response Unit ManagerQuality ManagementWestern Dental / Brident530 S Main St., Orange, CA 92868office: (714) 571-3302mobile: (657) 236-8756 From: [redacted] [mailto:[redacted]@yahoo.com]Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 12:51 PMTo: [redacted] < a="">><>Subject: Re: Revdex.com Complaint #[redacted]  Thank you for your explanation, but I will have to insist on my stance.The clerical error was on Western Dental's side and a cost was presented to me, I honored my side of the invoice under the assumption that Western Dental had provided accurate assessments and cost of procedures. I will not pay for the clerical errors committed by Western Dental, which has now changed it's story from not submitting my claim to a " clerical error" of 11.20 to 122. 5 0.Submitting the claim properly with [redacted] is no longer my concern, that was for Western Dental to have been able to care to do 4 months ago when I first presented the issue. A charge was presented to me for the cost of the procedure and I paid for that in full, I then discovered I should've only had to pay 10% of the cost of that procedure. I understand how the process to find accepted cost by UCR functions and I know that is what Western Dental is attempting to do now.This however is not permissible anymore, and the 90% overcharge is on the original charge not a new charge.[redacted] 
Regards,
[redacted]

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") is in receipt of the Revdex.com's inquiry regarding this case.  Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") appreciates the opportunity to address the concerns filed by the patient with the Business Bureau.Patient contracted for $1,845.00 (see...

attached), patient has only paid a total of $ 1,476.00 (see itemized statement).  Inadvertently when the account was set up on automatic payments it was scheduled incorrectly causing the account to still have a remaining balance. Patient has received billing statements after final payment was processed through automatic payments.  In the billing statements patient was made aware that she still had a remaining balance of $369.00.  Since patient signed and agreed to contract in the amount of $1,845.00 the remaining balance would not be written off.  As a good will gesture and due to WD mistake of automatic payment set up, the 2 late fees have been removed as good will gesture.  Patient will remain financially responsible for the balance of $369.00WD apologizes for any inconvenience that this matter has caused patient.

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") appreciates the opportunity to address the concerns filed by the patient with the Business Bureau.As stated in previous email, a formal grievance has been filed on behalf of the patient.  A resolution letter will be mailed on or before 4/21/15.

Western Dental Services, Inc. ("WDS") is in receipt of the Revdex.com's inquiry regarding this case.  Please note that as indicated in our previous response to the Revdex.com, protecting member information is not only our company policy - federal law now requires it.  That is why we must first  get a release of health information from our patient authorizing us to  disclose any information regarding this case.  Please note that although patient has indicated that he/she has signed and returned the Western Detnal Plan Authorization Form that was emailed to patient on 01/30/2015 as of today (2/12/15), WDS has not received such document.  As soon as the signed release is received by WDS, we will forward any pertinent information to the Revdex.com. Please note that the release form provided by patient is incomplete with no signature.  Patient will be contacted directly by WD to address his concerns.