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tulipa
Nov 6, 2007, 05:05 PM
Let me try to explain my situation.
I look at my Insurance book and choose a dentist. I went there with so much pain in my teeth. The first encounter , his questions were basically: what kind of job do you do? And your husband? Very strange questions that immediately made me think : well, he’s just trying to check how much money do you have to spend over there. After a quick check he realize I have to treat a root canal. He sent me to one of the rooms inside his buildings which I was very well treated (so far) for a nice guy. Mr nice guy treat my tooth and gave me a bunch of papers to sign, which I agree, I did fast as I could so he could treat and I could stop crying. Yes, I cry since the time they gave me the results of the pain due to a bad experience with last root canal. He was really kind, everything so far looks OK. This was June and I paid for everything 650 dollars at the time and the next month I started receiving a bill of 300. In August I was tired to see this bill getting here again and call my insurance. They said immediately (which I did not record) that they were overcharging me. The dentist was charging an out of patience price. I did the complaint, never receive a single call (insurance or dentist), Well. Now in October for my surprise they re-did the claim and I ended up with a bill of 1250 . Calling the insurance they said the dentist who provided me the service it’s not part of their office. Anyway I never called them to make me more nervous and promised to record all the conversations with both sides. I still didn’t do that because I need to have something to say like: Hey, this dentist it’s on the provider book. I went there because of that and there’s no way in the world I would use this dentist to treat a root canal if I was advised before how much was going to be. This all happen close to 6 and they said at the time they were trying to check with the insurance if they cover or not, but never told me anything.
Questions :
1- It would be not illegal for them to charge me that?
2- Should the insurance be responsible for the 1st dentist to have this service provided there and the 2nd dentist name do not show up at the provider’s list?
3- In the case I had signed some kind of paper there about responsibility to pay, how can I fight with the insurance company for this?

I would really appreciate any help somebody can give me , I’m a foreign and I’m trying to make it here and believe there’s
Justice in this country. Sorry for my bad writing English in case I did some mistakes. I was never irresponsible paying my bills, never. I always paid everything, I always had great credit and I do not want to have problems because a tooth.
Tks a lot and congratulations for the site.
Patricia

flossie
Nov 6, 2007, 07:08 PM
I wish I could give you some info but being here in Canada dental insurance is handled differently. (I'm assuming you aren't in Canada? )

tulipa
Nov 7, 2007, 05:59 AM
I'm in Florida. I just want to explain that I'm willing to pay any extras we may have to pay but the principle is that if I have the insurance, it was my first visit to the dentist, I had enough credits (1000) a year ) What is eating me inside is why this is happening to me if I have the insurance for that?? Whay the insurance or the dentist can get out with this, what should I do? Where can I found a small lawyers office or in another words, how can I prove to the insurance I was not told that there would be a extra cost? Maybe for the fact I'm foreign or so young they can step on my head and there's nothing I can do?
I really appreciate some kind of help. Have a good day everybody

flossie
Nov 7, 2007, 06:07 PM
You could call your local dental association.

Florida Dental Association (http://www.floridadental.org/index.html)