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Dentist rant/happy ending

Greg said:
At first I was like Jack got a happy ending at the dentist office, should be maybe kinda weird thread involving anesthesia and waking up without pants

Needless to say, I was disappointed.Jack.
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It was my son, not me. I wasn't there. He did come back feeling good, though. In the small Alaska town where he lives, payment can usually be by salmon or halibut filets or moose steaks or clams. Jack.
 
one-eyed Jack said:
It was my son, ... In the small Alaska town where he lives, payment can usually be by salmon or halibut filets or moose steaks or clams.
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Sounds complex.
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Palladin said:
Here's my dentist rant

I've had an interesting issue pop up and I'm not sure whether it's just Consumer Fraud or insurance fraud

Daughter had her wisdom teeth out back in June, they wanted me to pay up front $2,300, I refused. They stated they weren't in our network and we should submit to Insurance afterwards a payment. Again I refused told them to bill the insurance company. So I've been watching this on my coverage plan, I get a bill in the mail yesterday for $535, with the accompanying explanation. They are in fact, in network and had billed insurance company $2,300, the insurance company discounted $1,200 and sent them a check for $635. I was billed the difference.
As the oral surgeon was in network and by accepting the payment of $635 I am not responsible for the 1200 that was discounted, only $535 that was listed as a patient responsibility.

So I'm going through the same thing now with wife's tooth, needs an implant. This is at a different oral surgeon, in fact I took my son to this guy a month ago for wisdom teeth and they demanded that I pay in front, I refused, the woman who runs the operation told me they do not bill insurance companies and then balance bill the patient. the quote was "we're not set up for that." So the long and the short of it, are they trying to undermine consumers or the insurance companies?
This guy is also in network, this is with Harvard Pilgrim, if he accepts payment then I'm not responsible for discounted portion. So they're lying to their patients to get their money up front.
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Palladin, ask any dentist to send pre-treat plan to your insurance. Your insurance will mail you and your dentist exact list with co-pays for each procedure. That is the way how it should be done.
 
FYI If the dentist is in network he is contractually obligated to accept the insurance company fee which is usually significantly less than his usual fee. He can not charge the patient to make up this difference. Always request a pretreatment estimate before any major work. Then READ it. It will clearly state the insurance company’s, dentist’s and patient’s financial obligations. Always read your EOBs. It will state how much the dentist can charge you for any treatment. Even simple cleanings and fillings are usually discounted.
 
I have Delta Dental insurance. Went to an Aspen Dental office near me, had an infected wisdom tooth pulled for $7 + my $40 annual deductible. Helped that I got a 20% discount because my daughters both work at Aspen offices in Nashua and Amesbury.
 
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Radtekk said:
I have Delta Dental insurance. Went to an Aspen Dental office near me, had an infected wisdom tooth pulled for $7 + my $40 annual deductible. Helped that I got a 20% discount because my daughter's both work at Aspen offices in Nashua and Amesbury.
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Radtekk, you have just participated in the insurance fraud.
Once Aspen Dental signed the agreement with Delta Dental their pricing can't be discounted because it is Delta Dental Fee.
If they gave you 20% discount they need to give the same discount to Delta Dental.
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Since it fits - and I’m generally pissed off now.

Earlier this year, broke my only lower left molar - fine - crown. While the temp is on I chew on the other side and break my only lower right molar - fine - crown #2

Well tonight I’m have some skittles - break the upper left first in front of the molars. This one looks down to the gumline on the inside. Thinking I’m getting this one pulled.

I have no coverage left on the dental for this year.

What the hell is going on.
 
GM-GUY said:
Since it fits - and I’m generally pissed off now.

Earlier this year, broke my only lower left molar - fine - crown. While the temp is on I chew on the other side and break my only lower right molar - fine - crown #2

Well tonight I’m have some skittles - break the upper left first in front of the molars. This one looks down to the gumline on the inside. Thinking I’m getting this one pulled.

I have no coverage left on the dental for this year.

What the hell is going on.
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Sucks. Sorry, man.

I’ve had my share of “teething pains” (couldn’t resist) in large part because of the f*cking PHS butcher who got his drill on me in boot camp (but I’m not bitter about all the money I’ve spent in restoration, not at all. Motherf*ckering c*ntbag) so I have some expertise here.

For anyone facing a crown, find a dentist who uses Cerec. The Cerec system is basically a CAD system connected to a milling machine. The dentist uses the software and images of the inside of your mouth to design the crown, hits “print” and the mill turns a block of ceramic into your new tooth. Takes about 10 minutes to mill out a crown.

Beats holy hell out of getting a temp and then going back to get it fitted.
 
Well no pain - a bit sensitive to cold. From what I can see it looks like I busted out the side of it but the ‘top’ (grinding surface) is intact. No putting a crown on it I don’t think. I’m calling the dentist first thing Monday to have them get a look as they know what they are doing and I obviously don’t as I’ve busted three teeth this year. The receptionist is going to laugh her ass off.
 
10thSFFD said:
Radtekk, you have just participated in the insurance fraud.
Once Aspen Dental signed the agreement with Delta Dental their pricing can't be discounted because it is Delta Dental Fee.
If they gave you 20% discount they need to give the same discount to Delta Dental.
View attachment 536120
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The "walk in self pay" price is generally way above the Delta Dental contract amount, so Aspen is probably not violating any best customer clause of the Delta contract.

What is fraud is using any sort of discount in conjunction with insurance to "bury the deductible or copay*".

My kid needed several baby teeth pulled. The dentist charges $600. Once I got the Delta Dental statement showing an "allowed fee" of about $200, I wrote up a bill for "Refund of charge in excess of Delta Dental contract allowance". The bill was promptly paid.

* - Newspeak for "deductible" some marketing REMF though would be easier to sell to patients.
 
So I called the dentist yesterday, I was right they laughed at me - because seriously less than a month from the last permanent crown and broke another one. Anyway, they had a cancellation at about 10AM - I went in and by the number of X-rays and pics they took (tiny camera on a stick) I knew I was right. Premolar just in front of molars on upper left.

Deep cavity under a filling caused the now most likely dead tooth to fail and dump out the side along with the filling. Treatment options were root canal, major rebuild & crown, whack off the top, root canal & implant, extract & implant or just pull it and might go with a bridge at some point.

I voted to yank it as the rest didn’t appeal to me. Well, it apparently was bad as they moved a couple things around, zapped me with Novocain and pulled it - out of the office 11am.

Had a little left on my insurance $125 out of pocket
 
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