Center For Dental Health La Jolla

Dear 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]

Hi [redacted],
 
 It is our policy to estimate the...

fees based on the information the insurance gives us about the patient's plan. Unfortunately the insurance company doesn't guarantee payments to us.When her insurance company denied her claim for an onlay, our policy is to collect the remaining balance from the patient. patient has an option to appeal her insurance company for non payment. We are so sorry the patient felt misled based on the treatment plan that we had discussed with her.  It was stated that the fees are based on an estimate only. I understand that the patient is upset in regard to having to pay more for the procedure. As a courtesy we are going to write off the balance on her account.
 
 
Regards,
[redacted]
Office Manager
Center for Dental Health, La Jolla
[redacted]

Dear 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]

Review: Misleading sales practices, conducting unnecessary procedures that lead to costly unexpected bills, misquoting dental insurance coverage

On September 4th I went to the Center for Dental Health at 8899 University Center Lane, San Diego, CA 92122, for a tooth filling. I understood my copay was to be $92 dollars. Once in the chair, the dentist told me the tooth repair would be better served by an inlay and asked her office staff to inquire with [redacted] insurance company for coverage. I stated that I did not want the inlay, that if the tooth was that bad to just pull it out. The assistant returned and said that the inlay procedure was indeed covered by my insurance and my copay would be approximately $150-$170. I stated again that I would prefer for the tooth to be pulled, but everyone in the room thought it was a rash decision in light of an additional cost of only $50-$70. Fine, I went ahead with the inlay. A couple of weeks ago I received a call from the Center for Dental Health stating that [redacted] was not covering the inlay and that I owed $450. The reason I am submitting this complaint is because surprise charges are a routine experience at this dentist office. I have been unable to get the regular periodontal care I need because I am always having to cover surprise payments for procedures that I only agree to because I am told they are covered by insurance. This process of negotiating procedures is usually done while I'm in the dentist's chair, mouth wide open, with no ability to research what I'm being told is a "necessary" procedure, nor to call the insurance company myself. If the surprise payment situation was once every several years that would be one thing, but EVERY time I have gone to this dentist in the last 3 years I am surprised with additional and significant payments over and above what I was quoted. I am particularly incensed at this latest situation because I specifically stated I would prefer for the tooth to be pulled as I did not have miscellaneous funds to cover surprise dental costs. And now I am being told I owe $450! If the office staff are unable to obtain reliable information regarding dental costs, they should tell the [redacted]ient: "This procedure will cost you $450. If the insurance company covers any of it you will be informed, however you can antici[redacted]e a bill of $450." Rather than the current practice of saying, "The dental company will cover 80% of the expense, so you only have to pay X amount for your copay," and then informing the [redacted]ient later that they owe the full amount. As I said, if this was an occasional occurrence that would be one thing, but it is a consistent and persistent [redacted]tern that tells me they have to change their protocol. If you check their yelp reviews you will see there are several [redacted]ients complaining about the chronic up sells, unnecessary procedures, the inability of office staff to navigate the insurance system, etc. The office staff always state that [redacted] is not involved with billing at all and so is unaware of any billing disputes.Desired Settlement: I do not believe I should have to pay for this procedure that I explicitly stated I did not want.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted],