Wednesday, March 22, 2017

DO YOU STILL WANT TO KNOW WHY I NEED A NEW DENTIST?

Continued from Monday––to read the first part CLICK HERE.

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

When last you saw your Queen of Grammar, she had been to the dentist to have her teeth cleaned and heard these words: We don't accept your insurance. We've never accepted your insurance.

That's not possible, I replied. I've been coming here for four years. The first question I asked before I made an appointment with you was if you accepted my insurance. I wouldn't have come here if you didn't. Besides, you've called my insurance company twice to find out my share of the cost for two procedures.

All of this led to the billing person and the office manager squawking and running back and forth between offices.



Finally, the billing person said, I don't know what to tell you. You should probably call your insurance company, but since we've never accepted your insurance that means your bill is going to be huge.

Which led to me squawking and running in circles until someone pushed me out of the door and told me which car was mine and told me how to start it because I had lost my memory at the words "your bill is going to be huge." Four years of dental services? Four freaking years? Not possible.



So I called my insurance company. The "customer service" representative for my dental insurance told me that I was assigned to G_____ D_____ (I'm in a dental HMO), and no, that does not stand for what you think it does, you filthy-mouthed blasphemer of God.

I said, G_____ D_____ went out of business years ago. They weren't open when the insurance assigned me to them, so I found N______ D______ and made them my providers.

The customer service rep said, You are assigned to G______ D______.

They went out of business years ago, I said.

Rep: You are assigned to G______ D______.

Me: G______ D______ went out of business at least five years ago.

Rep: You are assigned to G______ D______.

Me: G______ D______ went out of business at least five years ago.



I guess you get the idea that the "customer service" representative was there to say the same words over and over and not to provide customer service.

Next, I called N______ D______'s billing office. I went through the whole story. The person said, I don't know what to tell you. We don't accept your insurance.

Steam came out of my ears. It made my golden tresses limp and sad looking.

I went online and found the five-star review I'd given to N_______ D______ and changed it to one star. I left my original comment praising their work, and then added that I had to change the five-star rating I'd given to them and provided a brief explanation.



Okay. I'm tired now. That's all for today. To be continued . . . 


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug


37 comments:

  1. WTF?! Arggh! I'm raging mad for you. Why are people so mean and stupid? I wouldn't pay a dime of that "huge bill." It's not your fault. Someone screwed up and you shouldn't have to pay for others' incompetence. That's what the world has come to, hasn't it? We're expected to pay and keep paying for other peoples' incompetence. Honey, we can't afford that. Only the incompetent .1% can. So sorry.
    Love you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, don't get your panties in a wad. A problem with a dentist is nothing compared to what we have in our federal government.

      Delete
  2. OMG!!!That is ridiculous! And stressful enough to cause a heart attack! OMG!!!

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    Replies
    1. I didn't get that upset because I knew I was right.

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  3. I go to a new dentist this week. Our regular dentist retired. There was never a bill because (1) he was a personal friend & (2) Bud did his legal work for nothing. This one we have to pay. She better be good!!

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  4. Hi Janie - I hope this can be resolved ... sounds somewhat challenging - good luck ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It happened last year so it was already resolved.

      Delete
  5. That's absolutely awful. Insurance companies and customer service are my pet hate. India is as bad as the rest of the world. Hope it gets sorted out soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's been over for months. I waited a while to write about it.

      Delete
  6. I think you have an excellent case for not paying for anything except for the lat visit which they told you you would have to pay for. If you were supposed to pay for the other visits, where are all the bills? Why didn't they send you to collections?

    As for the insurance rep. I'd ask to speak to his or her superior.

    I would be fuming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I spoke to the superior and got the same "You're assigned to . . . "

      Delete
  7. So your dental office didn't notice for four years they weren't being paid?

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  8. Really looking forward to Part Three!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now it has to be a letdown. I don't think I'll even bother to write Part Three.

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  9. I don't like anything to do with the dentist. We need National Dental Care- their prices are outrageous.

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    Replies
    1. I love having my teeth cleaned, but I want my insurance to pay for it.

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  10. Sounds like you have a good lawsuit against the dentist. It is THEIR responsibility to make sure you are covered before you start any procedures. It is THEIR responsibility to make sure they are receiving payments from the insurance company after each billing, or to inform you that you are due to pay them ASAP. Find a lawyer who will give you free initial consulting and go after the dentist. They are the incompetent ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate the advice, but you'll see how it ended tomorrow.

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  11. Oh no! What a mess. I had the problem last year trying to find a dentist that accepted my insurance. What was annoying is that I called a couple that had just stopped taking my insurance. And a third was dropping it in three months and couldn't accept me for something that would've taken one appointment. Really?

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  12. Bloody hell, I would be wanting to punch someone and do some swearing as well, what part out of business for five bloody years do the not understand. How does it take four years to figure out your insurance doesn't cover work from those dentists, I don't get that

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  13. Awful !
    Everything I have done or tried to find out about has been taking anywhere hour or two over the last three days. My head hurts so much I want to go throw stinky dog poo at the offices !

    cheers, parsnip


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Penelope and Franklin claim their poop isn't stinky.

      Delete
  14. Well, someone paid them. I doubt they can make you pay for four years of dental work. They mu8st have terrible bookkeeping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wouldn't want to work in their billing office, or maybe I would. They must drink beer and watch TV all day.

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  15. What??? This is ridiculous. Another cliffhanger...

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  16. Hi Janie,

    Your back and forth with customer service reminds me of what I deal with at my call center job. UGH! Insurance is the worst.

    Good luck finding a new dentist!

    Love,
    Jessica

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  17. I cannot fathom a dental office that went four years without payment with no complaints!!! Shenanigans!!!

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  18. Unreal! I'd have steam coming out of my ears too!

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