Dr. Jack L. Gish & Associates, PC

Review: Dr. [redacted] and Associates failed to ask me what type of filling I would like on my back tooth. I am now being billed for a tooth colored filling. I called the billing department and spoke with the billing/office manager. She explained that the reason they put the tooth colored filling in the back is that the silver colored filling can crack my tooth. I explained to her that the Dentist didn't give a choice of which one I wanted in my back tooth. She was very rude and wouldn't let me finish my sentence.Desired Settlement: I would like $58.00 removed from my bill as I wasn't given a choice.

Review: I went in for a cleaning my insurance only covers only a partial amount of each procedure. During each procedure that had to be done I asked the fee and approved prior to starting. At the end of my appointment I was asked to wait an additional 15 minutes so the front desk staff could total up my bill which I then paid in full. Two weeks later I received a bill in the mail for an additional $45. When I called to speak with the office manager I was told the old insurance policy covered one of my procedures (a periocheck) which it is no longer covered and now I must pay. I asked why I wasn't told about this fee during my appointment she said because it's just something the hygienist do by habit. When asked why I should pay for this service when I didn't approve first she said because I was already billed. I wasn't asked to perform a periocheck nor was I asked to approve the fee prior to the procedure therefore I should not have to pay for the service.Desired Settlement: I would like the bill I received to ZERO. When I left the office I receiced a rceipt that said paid in full.

Business

Response:

I called the office manager in our Farmington Valley Office and she did confirm that there was an additional charge that was posted after the patient left.

Review: This issue is from 2012. I had a regular cleaning. I was required to pay $100.00 since insurance wouldn't pay. I had another cleaning again in 2013 and was being told insurance wasn't going to pay. I found this odd considering I had two insurance companies, why was I having to continue to pay? I found out they had only been filing with one insurance company. I gave them my insurance information again and left. I received the same bill a couple of months later. I gave them the insurance information. I had since called my primary insurance company to follow through with the claim. Since the claim wasn't filed in proper time the insurance company was going to make the exception and allow the claim to go through. It is now August of 2013. I called the insurance company to verify the claim had been processed. They had not seen any claim. I again called Dr. Gish's office about filing the claim. I had called ten times between the time the claim should have been filed to the time the claim was filed. I was given a different answer every time I called on the proper procedure to follow. The late part of November I called AGAIN to figure out why this claim hasn't been put through. The receptionist insist she was filling out the form on the phone and would be sent out the next business day. I knew insurance claims look some time and waiting. I called the insurance company in February of 2014 to find out why I hadn't been issued my refund. They stated they just received the claim early that month and would process it. I called the insurance company again in March of 2014. They stated they had/were paying the Dr.'s office and I should be issued my refund soon. I have called Gish at least ten times since March. I'm always told we're busy, we'll call you back. I am still waiting for that phone call and it's been March. I want my money back. I have had numerous headaches and stress dealing with such an unprofessional office. How do you continually lose insurance information?Desired Settlement: $100.00 refund.

Business

Response:

I want to assure [redacted] that we value our patients and want them to have confidence in our billing practices. I am sorry to learn that you called the office so often with no resolution to your issues. We try our best to be patient focused however we obviously have failed in your case. I am at my desk, right in the front, during most of the workday and I don't ever remember hearing any of my employees stating that "we're busy, we'll call you back" to any patient. That response in unacceptable and my staff is well aware that if they cannot handle an issue right away, I certainly can take care of it.

That being said, and with my concern over this issue I conferred with my office manager to find out why your complaints were not dealt with in a timely fashion. She claimed knowledge of only one recent conversation in which she did, as she stated, submit the original claim to [redacted]. We are waiting for their response. [redacted] will only pay for the x-rays and comprehensive evaluation you received on 3/15/12 but they will not pay for the debridement. You did not have a "regular cleaning" until 3/27/12. This is the source of confusion. On 3/15/12 you needed a debridement which is supported by the chart notes from your hygienist. The notes also clearly state that "explained to patient she needs to come back for fine scale "(regular cleaning) however it is not uncommon for patients to misunderstand the difference between a regular cleaning (prophy) and a debridement. Neither [redacted] nor [redacted] paid for the debridement, hence the charge to you. After the calculus was cleaned, supra-gingivally , you then returned for a "regular cleaning" on 3/27/12. This service was paid in full by the insurance companies.

I do apologize, again, for any aggravation we caused you.

Review: I have made many attempts and hardships to obtain my family's dental records since October 2013.I have contacted the CT Dept. of Health to assist in having my dental records released. In response, [redacted] is not cooperating and seeking an overly exaggerated amount +$25.00 to release my records for which I find unfair! I would like my records to be sent to my new dentist (Danbury Dental) which is 2 blocks away.Desired Settlement: Please send my family's dental records to my new dentist (Danbury Dental) which is 2 blocks away.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] request has been answered in a timely fashion as required by Connecticut State Statutes.

The law is clear and I am abiding by it.

I am sorry that [redacted] feels that the law is unfair.

Corporation Manager

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

My new dentist called Dr. [redacted] several times to request my x-rays and they refused to respond in sending over the x-rays. I'm also appalled that Dr. [redacted] hasn't disclosed that Dr. [redacted] was a recently licensed dentist for only 1 year! Dr. [redacted] failed to provide me with the proper patient consultation and refused to perform a tooth filling! Dr. [redacted] has avoided all my calls in covering this dental malpractice! I think that I have the right to know when I'm seeing a qualified dentist and a dentist who has practiced dentistry for less than a year!

PS: This issue has caused loss of my time, money and headaches, [redacted] should make good and send my x-rays. Multiple Revdex.com complaints have been filed by 7 of Dr. [redacted]'s patients and list keeps growing!

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

The nature of [redacted]'s complaint has now changed, and continues to do so, as can be seen twice within his new accusations -including the underlining of sentences which aligns with his display of uncontrolled anger.

As I wrote in my original response to his intial complaint, and as I stated in a letter to his insurance company, [redacted] terrorized the dentist, her assistant, and the front desk staff. The police should have been called as all three women felt personally threatened by actions including; his invasion of their personal space, shouting at them in both the operatory and at the front desk, his nasty words and accusations, and his out-of-control anger. They truly were fearful that he would become physically violent.

His varying issues in these complaints moving from one to another to another,coupled with the anger and irrational behavior he exhibited in the office seem to indicate that he is not a clear thinking, rational person. He certainly has given any reader of this entire Revdex.com Complaint a clear picture that supports my assertion.

6 reviews
1.0 star rating 2/22/2016
I went to Dr. Gish in the Danbury office for years, the staff there is wonderful. I recently moved to Fairfield hoping to have the same experience and sadly it has been a complete nightmare for my family. The front staff in incompetent and unhelpful when trying to schedule procedures. If you can't change your work schedule to accommodate them then forget about it. They told my husband that he can call every Saturday to see if they had an hour and a half appointment available that same day for his procedure instead of booking him for a Saturday appointment ahead of time.
I know this sounds crazy, because I can't even believe it was happening. I called the office and emailed the Office Manager on January 20th and again on February 16th and have yet to hear from them. Customer service is not the strong suit, stay away!!