Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates, LLP

Good afternoonI apologize for the delay in responding to this complaintThe General Manager position has been eliminated at our company and the email was not receivedI have updated the email so that we will receive and response to complaints promptly in the futureIf you could, please follow up that the new email all correspondence will be is : [redacted] My name is [redacted] ***, I am the Executive Assistant for DrM [redacted] , the owner of the company.I spoke with the patient this morning and this afternoon and checked into his recordsThis patient has not been billed for any servicesOnce I am able to get in touch with him (I have called twice and left messages) we can have him come in to go over a treatment plan with our Treatment CoordinatorThe insurance will not be billed until we have an estimate of the work that is completed.We will do our best to make sure the patient is fully aware of any outstanding balance he may have before the bridge is completed, and that any and all miscommunication and misunderstanding is resolvedWe feel very strongly that our patients concerns are of utmost importance and I will personally ensure this issue is resolved in a timely mannerThank you Kimberly L***

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:I seems that this office is indeed trying to discount my claimI made this complaint because I accompanied my daughter to her appointment, and I was the individual that the office manager directed his questions and unprofessionalismThis incident occurred in the [redacted] office on June 8, Sincerely, [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: Not only are they providing incorrect information across the board, I have given them ample time and patience to make me "whole" months isn't enough time????? I would not bring my rabid dog to this place after what I have had to deal with and experience #on 7/25/I was not seen by Dr [redacted] I saw an Indian dentist who told me I needed a root canal because my cavity was too big to put a filling in - refer to my previous submission #After discussing my portion of the proposed bridge on 7/with [redacted] , I said, "No" [redacted] said, "Can you put $down?" I said, "No" He said, "okay, we will charge you $1,right now for your portionHow much can you put down on it, $200?" I said, "Yes, I think I can do $200." Then he comes up with the $1,figure and uses my $down as a way to say I am paying $1, He is a bully, liar, and very inappropriate Also, while I was seeing Dr [redacted] , he kept saying to me, this is "Corporate Dentistry for you!" Like that is an excuse for the pain and suffering I had to endure? He also said he has his own practice (Thanks for warning me!) By the way, when I asked for a copy of my file, they gave me it starting with 8/1/and I said to the lady, "I first came here on 7/25." She said, "Let me see, yes, you did but for some reason he didn't put in any notes." I was like uh huh, I bet (to myself) I imagine she was talking about the Indian dentist who was also a male Anyway, I did not see Dr [redacted] until 8/ If I needed a root canal at the point of paying the $down, then why wasn't I given one on 8/1? Why didn't doctor [redacted] know anything about a root canal and just prepped my tooth for a bridge? I asked him on that appointment if he had completed a root canal Refer to my previous submission (it seems it was not read and comprehended) After Dr [redacted] prepped my teeth my back tooth started hurting when it never hurt before I had to make and appointment to get it checkedAgain, refer to my previous submissionAnd later, my perfectly good tooth #has been destroyed in this process for no reason other than incompetence If they knew I couldn't afford it, why did they keep pushing me? They offered to do the root canal on #at no cost because they know they are liable I DID NOT RECEIVE A ROOT CANAL ON #29, ONLY THE FIRST STEP WAS PERFORMEDRead my previous submission I NEVER RECEIVED MY BRIDGE I was informed along the way and signed paperwork because I had no other choice I was in the middle of treatment and in pain I had to sign to get relief I signed under duress!!! I am not stepping foot in Columbia Dental ever again I have waited a month for their response They are not being accountable for their mistakes/malpractice If they do not resolve to my request, I am going to the Media/social media, Consumer Affairs, and small claims court Refund my insurance company and me in full and forget all the other "demands" as long as they also pay to have my teeth fixed by a reputable dentist of my choosing My teeth still hurt and are exposed I am unable to get them fixed because Columbia Dental has exhausted my dental insurance and my personal finances I will wait until January 16th for my request to be met before I take additional action.Sincerely, [redacted]

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me Sincerely, [redacted] ***

Dear Mr [redacted] Submitting this complaint a year and a half after the procedure because you account went to collections does not appear to be a valid complaint, especially with insults cast about You had a wisdom tooth extraction The pain from an erupting wisdom tooth is very strong, but certainly not a case in which we would take advantage of you We were there to take it out We took a panoramic x-ray which is the x-ray taken to look at the positioning of the wisdom teeth That was the only x-ray for which you were charged.I'm sorry you misunderstood the ad we had for consultation and x-rays It was really meant for those without insurance as an aid to those who have nothing It has nothing to do with taking advantage of insurance companies as it is appropriate to bill insurance companies for work done, which is why thee is insuranceIt is more unfair to take advantage of us when you have insurance to aid in your payment You also talk of all sorts of exams, for which you were charged the simple limited exam, the smallest costing examination And finally you were charged for the surgical extraction of [redacted] ** You and your insurance company were charged the lowest fees for the work done to relieve you from your pain, which appears to have worked with no ill effects Instead of complaining there should be some gratefulness that we were there and took care of your issues.What the insurance company covers and doesn't cover we are not responsible for Each plan is different and you should be responsible enough to find out what your coverage entails You are the one paying for your coverage and should know what it is you're getting We went over what we would be doing with you and you signed a valid consent You've made a single payment of $ on the date of service and have ignored every statement and notice since that time I believe it is time you lived up to your end of your insurance agreement of a $deductible, a $co-insurance and $left on the balance.Sincerely,Jeffery M S*General ManagerColumbia Dental

I'm very sorry that Ms [redacted] had such a difficult experience at Columbia Dental.Ms [redacted] came into ColumbiA dENTAL ON 7/25/for treatment and was seen by Dr [redacted] On 8/1/Dr [redacted] prepped her mouth for a three tooth bridge The cost was $of which $1, was to be paid with insurance and $was the expense of Ms [redacted] She didn't have the money and was unable to obtain a loan through channels so we took the financing ourselves to help her out She put down $to secure the appointment and start the procedure At that point it the patient needed to have a root canal on tooth # The patient agreed to have it done but was unprepared for the cost We put her on a plan for $at $per month for months (again financed directly by Columbia Dental) Then the patient needed a root canal as well for tooth # Knowing still she could not afford another charge we waived the fee so she received that root canal at No Charge We were doing our best to make the patient happy and finally put the bridge on her.Ms [redacted] was informed along the way, signed the treatment plan for the bridge, signed the payment agreement, Again, I apologize that her experience was not everything either we or Ms [redacted] desired I do not believe her solution is the correct one, but we would be more than happy to work something out coming to Columbia Dental to make her whole and satisfied [redacted] Columbia Dental, PC

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: while I do understand that they told me that day I was there they should have told me ahead of time I had several people take time off of work to help me with this surgery Had I been given proper notice I could have made other arrangements It was completely poor customer service on their part And yes I was given other options by the doctor however I have horrible anxiety about the dentist Had I been notified ahead of time I would have been able to take my anxiety meds and I would have been fine with the gas Also he said that he could refer me to another doctor that might have done the procedure Had they done their job ahead of time I could have done this in the weeks between the initial appointment and the surgery That way I could have found a doctor that would do it and people wouldn't have to lose their job for taking extra time off for me I did check with my dentist and the correct teeth were pulled I was in such constant pain that I needed to have it done If my fiance wasn't going to lose his job for taking anymore time off I would have found someone else to do it It wasn't just my life they were messing with The way everything was handled was absolute crap and this response from them shows what a horrible company they are I will never use them again and I will make sure everyone I know never uses them Sincerely, [redacted] ***

This patient had done extractions and immediate dentures. That means the denture was fabricated before the time of extractions and the denture is inserted immediately after extractions so that the patient would not leave without teeth. Sourness following after extractions is very common. Apparently... our dentist adjusted the denture. The patient felt better however the denture was loose. Our dentist placed a temporary material(soft relining) and instructed the patient to bite down completely. The patient became very agitated and began to swear that he cannot close his mouth. Although we do understand the pain and suffering the patient is going through, this is an unfortunate incident that unfortunately we could not avoid on our daily routine of dental practice. As a practice, we are willing to do anything to accommodate our patients. If the patient has lost his faith and trust to the dentist that tried to help him, we can accommodate him with another provider or issue him a refund.

There is no way we would discvount the complaint. We're simply asking for more information so we can investigate it propely.. If we don't know who the actual patient was we can't see what was happening and then all we have is this nice ladies word on what occurred and she's not the patient receiving services and then it's just her opinion because it's her daughter. If she canot provide the information then I would have to say we've gone as far as we can with this as the last name is no where in our system and there's nothing to check against. I thank her for at least saying now that it was in the *** *** office

Dear Ms***,I am sorry you are having billing issues. Trying to predict exactly what an insurance company is going to pay for a procedure is an inexact science. We don't know if or why they are going to downgrade a procedure so we do our best to get to a number as
close as we can but it is only an estimate. This procedure was also done on a Sunday so there is no one to check with at the insurance company for the time of service. HoweverOur billing department is in receipt of your medical insurance so we've submitted a medical claim to see if anything else would be paid on your procedure. Many times there will be a fax back request put in for the breakdown of the insurance. The true answer is that the patient is responsible for the balance, however we're not so cuand dried as that. The manager of the Norwalk office has been attempting to reach out to speak with your directly. His name is *** ***. His phone number directly is ###-###-####.Mistakes do happen and I apologize for our mistake. Thee was no intent to mislead you. If you are not happy after speaking with *** please do not hesitate to contact me.Sincerely,Jeffery * ***General ManagerColumbia Dental, PC###-###-####***

We very much appreciate Ms*** desire to giver us a second chance to make amends with her. We understand what she was told but it did not consider that it was a weekend at the end of the year and the insurance company was closed so all the correct information was
unavailable. Our hours do not closely align with the insurance company hours meaning we're open and they are not. It is our hope otherwise that you were satisfied with the work. What we have decided to do is credit her account and her son $100.00 Thank you

We're very sorry that Mr*** feels as he does Columbia Dental is not out to take money if it is due to another This is somewhat of a complicated case because it deals with a primary and a secondary insurance We don't know what other dental offices do for *** *** we do our
utmost to follow the rules established by the carriers His account was audited and found there was not "extra" money to give to him He had an initial $payment due for fillings from his deductible Every other visit was paid at 100% The insurance allowed a higher fee once paid He actually owed $for work done in but we adjusted that balance off without him paying for it He was never charged $for any administration fee His last account activity was in and has not come back to Columbia Dental for any other work.We wish him well and he doesn't even need to thank us for adjusting off the $from his account Thank you

This experience sounds less than optimal and I apologize for the experience overall. The issue here though is the writer of this complaint is not the patient and she does not identify who the patient is or at which office this took place. We have offices in *** and
without narrowing down where and whom was involved, it is much harder to investigate and give a more directed, specific answer.. I'm certainly not discounting what Ms*** is saying, but it certainly bears more weight coming from the actual patient versus an observation

The patient *** *** *** was misinformed that her insurance would cover sedation for only extractions. We do feel badly that *** *** *** would have preferred to undergo the procedure with sedation but unfortunately her insurance denied coverage when we submitted pre-authorization
Pre-authorization is done before confirming with the patient what procedures will be coveredThe reason sedation was denied was that only two teeth were being removedBecause insurance did not authorize the sedation and the doctor knew this was *** *** wish, before the procedure the doctor informed her that he would provide a referral to the hospital that would be able to inform sedation or they could do the procedure that day with nitrousWe always try to ensure our patients is informed of all of their options before a procedure to ensure they are fully satisfied and comfortable with their care*** *** agreed to undergo the procedure with nitrous that day and the procedure went wellThe two teeth that were removed were the two teeth scheduled to be extracted on her treatment plan, which can be confirmed by any follow up with any general dentist or in our office. Again, we did give *** *** the option for a referral and she made the choice to do this with nitrous onlyWe apologize for any miscommunication that *** *** felt happened concerning insurance coverage and hope to see her continued care with us at Columbia Dental

I am so sorry on the lack of immediate response on something so simply to do. Your request to refund the duplicate charge has been accomplished and you should see the results in your credit card account. I really am sorry for our earlier failure

I have reviewed the patient's complaint. I apologize for any miscommunication or misunderstanding . The psatient has been notified time and again that he balance should be clear before procedding to the next steps. This should not have been a surprise to Mr***Almost from the
beginning of his treatment at *** ** there has been an issue of paying for his services. He had set up a payment contract which had to be dissolved as his credit card was denied multiple times for payment processing. He has repeatedly missed appointments without notification taking appointment time that someone else could have used but then went empty. Speaking of rude he would call demanding an appointment and telling the office he will just come in to get what he needs. He promised payments for both of his accounts and then did not honor his promises. He acts as if this is his first time hearing that payment is due before services are rendered. This is the standard practice for any medical/dental office. You don't go to a restraunt and order a meal, eat it and then say I'll pay you later, especially when you've demonstrated a history of not paying on time as well as DEMANDING service.He has a balance of $1,for his *** Case and has cleared his second account

Good afternoon. I apologize for the delay in responding to this complaint. The General Manager position has been eliminated at our company and the email was not received. I have updated the email so that we will receive and response to complaints promptly in the future. If you could, please...

follow up that the new email all correspondence will be is : [redacted] My name is [redacted], I am the Executive Assistant for Dr. M[redacted], the owner of the company.I spoke with the patient this morning and this afternoon and checked into his records. This patient has not been billed for any services. Once I am able to get in touch with him (I have called twice and left messages) we can have him come in to go over a treatment plan with our Treatment Coordinator. The insurance will not be billed until we have an estimate of the work that is completed.We will do our best to make sure the patient is fully aware of any outstanding balance he may have before the bridge is completed, and that any and all miscommunication and misunderstanding is resolved. We feel very strongly that our patients concerns are of utmost importance and I will personally ensure this issue is resolved in a timely manner. Thank you Kimberly L[redacted]

A response with a treatment plan was made directly to Mr. [redacted] which I'm also copying here.From: [redacted]Date: July 22, 2015 at 12:15:58 PM EDTTo: [redacted]Subject: Proposed Treatment plan attaché for Tooth # 20. Dear...

[redacted],Treatment
plan attached as you requested, for your root canal therapy our general
dentist recommendation is to see endodontist (root canal therapy
specialist). Call your insurance to find an in network specialist. If
you need to see our in network specialist than you may have to see Dr
[redacted] in [redacted] and for your post & crown procedure our
doctors in [redacted] location can help you. Let me know if you need any
future help. Thanks,[redacted]Office ManagerColumbia Dental[redacted]
[redacted]The treatment plan was also attached to the email with pricing for Mr. [redacted] to consider

Thank you for your time in working with us on this issue. Unfortunately the haste in which the complaint was filed did not allow for any extra time to speak to a representative that was able to resolve the issue. The issue has been...

resolved as of January 3o, 2016 and I would like to retract the Revdex.com complaint on Columbia Dental. Please feel free to contact me via my email or through a phone call at ###-###-####.   V/R [redacted]

Dear Mr. [redacted]Submitting this complaint a year and a half after the procedure because you account went to collections does not appear to be a valid complaint, especially with insults cast about.  You had a wisdom tooth extraction.  The pain from an erupting wisdom tooth is very strong,...

but certainly not a case in which we would take advantage of you.  We were there to take it out.  We took a panoramic x-ray which is the normal x-ray taken to look at the positioning of the wisdom teeth.  That was the only x-ray for which you were charged.I'm sorry you misunderstood the ad we had for consultation and x-rays  It was really meant for those without insurance as an aid to those who have nothing.  It has nothing to do with taking advantage of insurance companies as it is appropriate to bill insurance companies for work done, which is why thee is insurance. It is more unfair to take advantage of us when you have insurance to aid in your payment.  You also talk of all sorts of exams, for which you were charged the simple limited exam, the smallest costing examination.  And finally you were charged for the surgical extraction of [redacted].  You and your insurance company were charged the lowest fees for the work done to relieve you from your pain, which appears to have worked with no ill effects.  Instead of complaining there should be some gratefulness that we were there and took care of your issues.What the insurance company covers and doesn't cover we are not responsible for.  Each plan is different and you should be responsible enough to find out what your coverage entails.  You are the one paying for your coverage and should know what it is you're getting.  We went over what we would be doing with you and you signed a valid consent.  You've made a single payment of $92.40  on the date of service and have ignored every statement and notice since that time.  I believe it is time you lived up to your end of your insurance agreement of a $50 deductible, a $29 co-insurance and $79 left on the balance.Sincerely,Jeffery M S[redacted]General ManagerColumbia Dental