STEVEN A. MOSKOWITZ, DDS, PC

Review: I went to see this dentist in February for a routine cleaning. The woman at the front desk told me that they do accept [redacted] Dental, took my card to scan in my chart and my routine services were performed without a problem. I then recieved a bill in October that I owed the dentist $255.00 for my appointment. It wasn't until I called the office that I was told rudely by the office manager [redacted] that they ddi not accept my insruance and whoever told me that they did was incorrect. When I explained I could not pay the bill and that I was never made aware of the insurance issue she replied that there was nothing she could do but she would ask the doctor for advise. The woman got back on the phone and told me the most she could do was take $100 off my bill because thats what the doctor would have written off if I had the correct insurance information anyway. When I explained that I still couldn't pay the bill reguardless of the discount she continued to be rude and told me I had to pay the bill or it was sent to collections and ended the call. I have yet to pay the remaining $155.00 bill because I can not financially afford an additional bill because I am on a fixed income due to medical proble**. I called the office on 11/5/13 to speak with the manager [redacted] again but she wasn't in the office and the woman who answered the phone said she took a message and would let her know I called. She then never called me back so I then placed a second call to [redacted] to explain I was still recieving bills but that I was still not able to pay because of my fixed income. She told me there was nothing she was going to do for me and I would ultimately be sent to collections. She is claiming I had since February to pay this bill but I tried to explain to her I never got a statement until September so that didnt make any sense. Additionally the office is now charging me a "financing fee" every month that I am late and she couldn't give me an answer as to what that fee was for. She was very ignorant to me when I was explaining my financial situation and told me she didn't care this was office policy. I explained I would like to speak with the doctor to see if he would waive the fee and she told me she couldn't let me speak with the doctor. She was at this point yelling and mocking everything I was trying to explain.Desired Settlement: I would like the remaining ammount removed from my name and taken care of before I get sent to collections. Sending me to collections would ruin my credit but also I still will not be able to make a payment. I would also wish that [redacted] be held accountable for her actions and for her horrible customer service.

Business

Response:

November 11, 2013

Dear [redacted]:

**. [redacted] presented in our office as a new patient on February 2, 2013 under the name of [redacted]. Prior to the time of this initial visit, when she called our office on January 16, 2013 to set up this appointment, she was questioned about the type of dental insurance she carried. It is our unwavering policy to do so as it is imperative to ascertain whether we accept a patient's insurance plan and whether we can do so on an in-network or out-of-network basis.

At the time she set up this appointment **. [redacted] informed us that she carried [redacted] Dental coverage. We then cautioned her that we do not take the HMO type coverage that [redacted] Dental offers but she assured us that she had the traditional PPO plan and, of course, we defer to the patient's knowledge of their own persona! insurance coverage. We set up her appointment on the basis of the information she provided.

When [redacted] Dental subsequently rejected her services, I informed the complainant on August 28, 2013 and billed her. At the time of that conversation she told me she was "now aware" that she possessed an HMO plan.

Almost a month later on September 16, 2013 the complainant called our office and made the allegation that it was our responsibility to know what type of insurance plan she had chosen. By the time I spoke to her on that day she had already verbally abused two of my co-workers. After she informed me of her "demands" that we write off her charges because of our ineptitude, I consulted with Dr. [redacted], the provider of the services, and he graciously extended her the courtesy of a $100.00 discount which approximates the amount we would have written off if the complainant had indeed carried the PPO type plan we could have accepted. I extended this offer to the complainant and she seemed grateful and agreed to pay the $155.00 remaining balance. This was all documented at the time and, f feel it necessary to add, that although the complainant was abusive and condescending to three members of the office staff, no one in our office was abusive or condescending to her!

Now on November 5, 2013 the complainant once again called the office which was a day when I was not in the office. Before I had the opportunity to call her back, she called once more on November 6, 2013 and was, once again, abusive in tone and manner. She now wanted the entire balance "expunged", as she put it, because she is currently on medical leave. I explained to her that this was an impossibility since the services were rendered to her and she had previously agreed to the discounted balance. She wanted Dr. [redacted] to return her call but I explained to her respectfully that the doctors do not get involved in financial matters and, besides, he had already tried to work with her by significantly reducing the balance on her account You must realize that at this point we are concerning ourselves with services rendered over nine months ago! Moreover, the finance charge that so offended her was for $2.32.

In summation, the complainant's statement to you is rife with falsehoods, I have been in my position of office manager for over 25 years and I am always professional in situations of this nature. However, I must implement the office's policies as I was hired to do; while at the same time, I am not required to be berated by an individual who definitely possesses a skewed outlook on the acceptable way to deal with people with whom she may have a disagreement.

Back on September 16, 2013 when Dr. [redacted] graciously consented to discount the cost of her services by $100, we hung up on an agreeable note. What transpired between that time and the conversation we had on November 6,2013 I do not know but that arrangement stands as was mutually agreed upon regardless of her insistence that some erroneously perceived error on the part of our office staff entitles her to free dental care.

The balance stands currently at $147.32; a breakdown of which is included. We have done all we can do to work with [redacted] and we both regret and resent her inaccurate account of the situation.

Respectfully