Coffeen Plaza Dental

Patient came in for an emergency appointment as a 'New Patient' and was required to fill out all necessary new patient paperwork electronically on the computerIncluded in the new patient paperwork is a payment agreement (attached) that patients are asked to read and sign, which very clearly
states- "I, the undersigned patient/guardian, agree to pay for all services and treatment rendered and/or goods sold to me or my ward, immediately upon request by Coffeen Plaza Dental (CPD)I understand regardless of insurance coverage I am responsible for full paymentI agree to pay the balance due upon request from CPD after insurance claims, if any, have been closed out or after days from service regardless of outstanding insurance payment." Our receptionist did place a call to the patient's dental insurance company whose benefits & eligibility are handled through an automated systemThe receptionist also presented the patient with a treatment plan listing costs of the treatment and discussed with patient the payment plan policy for this officeThe patient was also given the choice to have us submit a pre-authorization to her insurance company so that the patient would know exact amounts if any, that the insurance would cover prior to receiving treatmentThe patient declined to wait for the pre-authorization and was then given the choice between root canal and extraction of the toothThe fees were again addressedThe patient stated that she would like to keep her tooth if at all possible and that she would prefer the root canalThe patient was then presented with a Consent to Treat form which she signed, authorizing a root canal procedureOur dentist did suggest a night guard appliance and due to the patients anxiety over cost, he offered to make it and let her try it out at no cost, and decide if she noticed any benefit from using itThe patient had impressions of her teeth done in order to make the night guard, if the patient at that time had any concerns or "input" she was more than welcome to speak up at any time during the process and let the doctor know she was not interested in trying the applianceWhen patient came back into our office for her next appointment she left our office with the night guard for a week or two trial basisThe patient was scheduled to come in to have her root canal finished and was told that her insurance did not pay on her procedure, that she would need to cover the balance of at least what had been up to this pointThe patient was upset and stated that she was "forced" into having the procedure in the first place and that she had told the receptionist upon arrival to her first appointment that she had "no job, no money" and that we should not have seen her as a patient and should not have forced her to have the procedureThe receptionist explained to the patient that we do not "force" any treatment on any patient for any reason and reminded the patient that she had signed the consent form giving us permission to proceed to do the root canal on the patientThe patient then threw down that night guard that she had returned and said she did not want itPatient was told that the doctor had said she could keep the night guard free of charge if she wanted it which the patient repeated she did notThe patient repeated several times, rather insistently and loudly that since she "told the receptionist" that she didn't have a job or money that our office should not have taken her as a patient and that she was forced into the root canal and since she was, she refused to pay for itThe patient was reminded that our office is not even required to work with the insurance company on the patients behalf and that our office is not required to file claims on the patients behalf, that it is done as a courtesy but ultimately, it is the patients responsibility to know what his/her own insurance covers and at what rateThe patient was reminded of the payment agreement that she had signed and that the treatment plans had been discussed prior to any treatment and was given a copy of the treatment plan with fees included on the formAlso on the form it clearly states that the patient is responsible for payment regardless of insurance coverageThe receptionist then informed the patient that she would have the office finance manager give her a call and the patient then left the office