August 26, 2016 [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
RE: Ohio Dental Family Center, Inc. Amount now due: $417.80 THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR Dear [redacted]: This is to follow up on our communications regarding your account with the Ohio Dental...
Family Center, Inc., (Dr. [redacted]). First, we are enclosing a complete printout of your account with this letter, as verification of the basis of the debt. This is done in compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692g. We understand that you are disputing the amount claimed to be due because: (1) you said that Ohio Dental had failed to credit you with one or more payments you made; and, (2) you received a Statement of Services Rendered dated May 24, 2016, which said that the balance due on that date was zero. The enclosed account detail shows that you were, in fact, credited for the payment of $385.20 on May 24, 2016. We have highlighted the item on the account detail. Therefore, you are mistaken in thinking that you were not credited for that payment. With regard to the Statement of Services rendered, dated May 24, 2016, we enclose another copy of that document with this letter, and we ask that you please look at all of the data on the Statement. You will please note that Ohio Dental did not request an additional payment from you on May 24, 2016, because of "Expected Insurance” of $577.80. We have also highlighted that item. Soon after May 24, 2016, you should have received correspondence from your insurance company which explained that they were not paying the expected amount. The insurance contract is between you and the insurance company, and therefore, it is up to you to deal with the insurance company if you believe that they should have paid more of this bill. Your agreement with Ohio Dental, a copy of which is also enclosed with this letter, very clearly states that you are responsible for whatever part of the bill is not covered by insurance. It is also clear that you are responsible to pursue insurance coverage. This is the only possible arrangement, because the insurance contract is between you and the insurer, and Ohio Dental has no direct rights to your insurance benefits. IMPORTANT NOTICE THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION WE OBTAIN WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. UNLESS YOU, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER RECELPT OF THIS NOTICE, DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, THE DEBT WILL BE ASSUMED TO BE VALID BY OUR OFFICE, IF YOU NOTIFY US IN WRITING WITHIN THE THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD THAT THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IS DISPUTED, WE WILL OBTAIN VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT OR A COPY OF A JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU AND A COPY OF SUCH VERIFICATION OR JUDGMENT WILL BE MAILED TO YOU BY OUR OFFICE. UPON YOUR WRITTEN REQUEST WITHIN THE THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD, OUR OFFICE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR, IF DIFFERENT FROM THE CURRENT CREDITOR. THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THIRTY (30) DAYS TO NOTIFY OUR OFFICE THAT YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT MAY NOT PREVENT OUR OFFICE FROM PROCEEDING WITH COLLECTION ACTIONS AS ALLOWED BY LAW. FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT- 15 U.S.C. 1692g Our client did not agree that they would limit their charges to your insurance coverage. We have heard that claim before from patients who wanted to argue about their bills, and it simply is not ever true. It cannot be true. The reason is simple: when you have work done by the dentist, they do not know if insurance is going to cover some, all, or none of the bill. Therefore, if the dentist was to agree to limit the bill to the insurance coverage, they could easily end up working for nothing. Ohio Dental staff never agree to limit the bill to the available insurance coverage. We have now fully responded to your letter and your dispute, and our client insists that you do owe the amount about which we wrote to you this month. In summary: 1. You were fully and properly credited for the payment of $385.20 on May 24,2016; 2. The Statement of Services Rendered dated May 24, 2016, does not mean that nothing is due to our client, because on that date, they were expecting that your insurance would pay $577.80, which was never paid; 3. Ohio Dental staff never agrees to limit charges to the amount of available insurance coverage, and as the patient, you are responsible for payment of the bill and for any dealings with your insurance company over whether you are covered and how much the insurer is liable to be paid; and, 4. Ohio DentaI has not requested a credit report, nor have they reported this account to any credit bureau or credit reporting service. The unpaid balance about which we wrote to you remains due, and our client is prepared to file a lawsuit to collect that amount. If you believe that your insurance should be paying for these charges, it is your responsibility to contact the insurance company and deal with them regarding your coverage. Please note that to ensure compliance with state and federal Iaws, we do not discuss legal matters by telephone with adverse parties. Therefore, we ask that you please not call our office. If you wish to make or discuss payment arrangements, or if you disagree with some part of the bill, you may contact our client directly. Please call Ohio Dental at [redacted], and ask to speak with Rachel or Barb. If you are in doubt as to your legal rights and obligations, you should contact your own licensed attorney. An important notice is printed on the back side of this letter. Very truIy yours, JOHN [redacted]. Attorney-at-Law cc: [redacted]
Thank you for the opportunity to further respond to our patient's concerns. Our position remains unchanged, our patient signed a Patient Responsibility form agreeing to pay any amount not covered by his insurance. We file insurance claims as a courtesy. Our records reflect he was seen here twice in 2015. He didn't tell us he'd been seen by another dental office in 2016. His benefit was maxed out. The zero receipt he is referencing reads: "expected insurance". There is nothing further we can offer at this time.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: The Staff at the Ohio Dental Family Center, Inc. are lying to their attorney. The only reason I sat down in their dentist chair is because they (Ohio Dental) contacted my insurance company and subsequently told me that the services were covered up to a point; and, the "point" was that my portion of the bill would be $385.20. I paid my portion of the bill that they said I would be responsible for that same day. That is when they gave me the "zero balance" receipt. Then Ohio Dental contacts me a month later claiming I owe them another $417.80. Ohio Dental lied to me and they are lying to their attorney by saying that they did not initially tell me how much I would be responsible for . If they had simply told me I was not covered, I would have simply waited until July 1, 2016 when my new benefit year would have kicked in. I would have never sat down in their chair for dental services in May, 2016.
Regards,
[redacted]
August 26, 2016 [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
RE: Ohio Dental Family Center, Inc. Amount now due: $417.80 THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR Dear [redacted]: This is to follow up on our communications regarding your account with the Ohio Dental...
Family Center, Inc., (Dr. [redacted]). First, we are enclosing a complete printout of your account with this letter, as verification of the basis of the debt. This is done in compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692g. We understand that you are disputing the amount claimed to be due because: (1) you said that Ohio Dental had failed to credit you with one or more payments you made; and, (2) you received a Statement of Services Rendered dated May 24, 2016, which said that the balance due on that date was zero. The enclosed account detail shows that you were, in fact, credited for the payment of $385.20 on May 24, 2016. We have highlighted the item on the account detail. Therefore, you are mistaken in thinking that you were not credited for that payment. With regard to the Statement of Services rendered, dated May 24, 2016, we enclose another copy of that document with this letter, and we ask that you please look at all of the data on the Statement. You will please note that Ohio Dental did not request an additional payment from you on May 24, 2016, because of "Expected Insurance” of $577.80. We have also highlighted that item. Soon after May 24, 2016, you should have received correspondence from your insurance company which explained that they were not paying the expected amount. The insurance contract is between you and the insurance company, and therefore, it is up to you to deal with the insurance company if you believe that they should have paid more of this bill. Your agreement with Ohio Dental, a copy of which is also enclosed with this letter, very clearly states that you are responsible for whatever part of the bill is not covered by insurance. It is also clear that you are responsible to pursue insurance coverage. This is the only possible arrangement, because the insurance contract is between you and the insurer, and Ohio Dental has no direct rights to your insurance benefits. IMPORTANT NOTICE THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION WE OBTAIN WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. UNLESS YOU, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER RECELPT OF THIS NOTICE, DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, THE DEBT WILL BE ASSUMED TO BE VALID BY OUR OFFICE, IF YOU NOTIFY US IN WRITING WITHIN THE THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD THAT THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IS DISPUTED, WE WILL OBTAIN VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT OR A COPY OF A JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU AND A COPY OF SUCH VERIFICATION OR JUDGMENT WILL BE MAILED TO YOU BY OUR OFFICE. UPON YOUR WRITTEN REQUEST WITHIN THE THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD, OUR OFFICE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR, IF DIFFERENT FROM THE CURRENT CREDITOR. THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THIRTY (30) DAYS TO NOTIFY OUR OFFICE THAT YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT MAY NOT PREVENT OUR OFFICE FROM PROCEEDING WITH COLLECTION ACTIONS AS ALLOWED BY LAW. FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT- 15 U.S.C. 1692g Our client did not agree that they would limit their charges to your insurance coverage. We have heard that claim before from patients who wanted to argue about their bills, and it simply is not ever true. It cannot be true. The reason is simple: when you have work done by the dentist, they do not know if insurance is going to cover some, all, or none of the bill. Therefore, if the dentist was to agree to limit the bill to the insurance coverage, they could easily end up working for nothing. Ohio Dental staff never agree to limit the bill to the available insurance coverage. We have now fully responded to your letter and your dispute, and our client insists that you do owe the amount about which we wrote to you this month. In summary: 1. You were fully and properly credited for the payment of $385.20 on May 24,2016; 2. The Statement of Services Rendered dated May 24, 2016, does not mean that nothing is due to our client, because on that date, they were expecting that your insurance would pay $577.80, which was never paid; 3. Ohio Dental staff never agrees to limit charges to the amount of available insurance coverage, and as the patient, you are responsible for payment of the bill and for any dealings with your insurance company over whether you are covered and how much the insurer is liable to be paid; and, 4. Ohio DentaI has not requested a credit report, nor have they reported this account to any credit bureau or credit reporting service. The unpaid balance about which we wrote to you remains due, and our client is prepared to file a lawsuit to collect that amount. If you believe that your insurance should be paying for these charges, it is your responsibility to contact the insurance company and deal with them regarding your coverage. Please note that to ensure compliance with state and federal Iaws, we do not discuss legal matters by telephone with adverse parties. Therefore, we ask that you please not call our office. If you wish to make or discuss payment arrangements, or if you disagree with some part of the bill, you may contact our client directly. Please call Ohio Dental at [redacted], and ask to speak with Rachel or Barb. If you are in doubt as to your legal rights and obligations, you should contact your own licensed attorney. An important notice is printed on the back side of this letter. Very truIy yours, JOHN [redacted]. Attorney-at-Law cc: [redacted]
Thank you for the opportunity to further respond to our patient's concerns. Our position remains unchanged, our patient signed a Patient Responsibility form agreeing to pay any amount not covered by his insurance. We file insurance claims as a courtesy. Our records reflect he was seen here twice in 2015. He didn't tell us he'd been seen by another dental office in 2016. His benefit was maxed out. The zero receipt he is referencing reads: "expected insurance". There is nothing further we can offer at this time.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: The Staff at the Ohio Dental Family Center, Inc. are lying to their attorney. The only reason I sat down in their dentist chair is because they (Ohio Dental) contacted my insurance company and subsequently told me that the services were covered up to a point; and, the "point" was that my portion of the bill would be $385.20. I paid my portion of the bill that they said I would be responsible for that same day. That is when they gave me the "zero balance" receipt. Then Ohio Dental contacts me a month later claiming I owe them another $417.80. Ohio Dental lied to me and they are lying to their attorney by saying that they did not initially tell me how much I would be responsible for . If they had simply told me I was not covered, I would have simply waited until July 1, 2016 when my new benefit year would have kicked in. I would have never sat down in their chair for dental services in May, 2016.
Regards,
[redacted]