I had a similar situation with Aspen Dental in Evansville, IN. In May I called and asked for an appointment to get my teeth cleaned. They set me up for the following Friday, but said that I would have to come in for a consultation first; and then I would have to set another appointment for the cleaning. This sounded odd, but the dentist at Aspen Dental was recommended by Blue Cross, my insurance company.
When I went to my appointment, I had to fill out an excessive amount of paperwork. After waiting nearly half an hour, a hygienist brought me in for x-rays. I was told they would take 18 x-rays! 18! The most x-rays I have ever had taken at the dentist was 3-5. The tech kept messing up and had to bring another hygienist in...They ended up taking 30. I was painful and unnecessary.
From there, the hygienist brought me to the dentist. He was foreign and I had a hard time understanding him. When he looked at my x-ray he said "Good news, no cavities." He then asked if that was what I was expecting and I replied "Yes, I haven't had cavities since I was a child." Well, then he looked at my mouth at he said "Actually, you have a few small cavities and you will need three fillings." He never showed me which teeth had "cavities" and at that point I was very distrustful of Aspen Dental.
From there I was taken to billing. The bill said I was billed for a cleaning and 3 fillings. I had to pay $469.40 when all I had done at that point was have x-rays taken. She took my insurance information and I assumed the x-rays and cleaning were charged to my insurance; apparently not. I also had to make 2 more appointments. The billing lady said they actually had time to get me in for a cleaning, but I would have to make 2 more appointments: 1 for the fillings and 1 for the second part of the cleaning. I thought to myself, 2nd part of the cleaning? I've never had to have 2 visits for a cleaning. I didn't know what to think and booked 2 more visits.
I met with ANOTHER hygienist after that for the "1st part of the cleaning." She scraped my teeth, flossed and then cleaned them, but I never had a fluoride treatment. After she finished she asked if I flossed often. I said every couple weeks, not often enough. And she replied that my gums "are in really bad shape." She never told me what was wrong, but she gave me a toothbrush that she said would help. After that I left.
When I got home I found out the toothbrush was an electric toothbrush; also included in the bag was fluoride. I was not happy I wasn't informed of this and I left everything in the bag and called my mom. She was also very weary of their business when I told her what happened.
The next day I called Aspen Dental to find out what exactly I paid for because the bill only said I was charged for a cleaning 3 and fillings. When I talked to the same billing woman as the day before, I learned I paid $130 for the toothbrush that they were "giving me!" I also paid $20 for the fluoride. Nothing was charged to my insurance, they put everything on my credit card. I was also told that I was billed for having a debridement. I was like what is that? When I looked it up, it's a procedure done...cutting off infected gum tissue. The billing lady said the hygienist said I had gum disease!!! Wait...how did the hygienist know I had gum disease before I ever saw her?!? I saw the billing lady before that hygienist.
After I learned this, I scheduled an appointment with my family dentist 2 and 1/2 hours away in Madison, IN. The reason I didn't go to that dentist in the 1st place was because that's where I went as a child and I had just moved for a new job after college and was trying to find a dentist closer to me. When I met with my family dentist, he looked at my x-ray and he said, "I would hate to say that someone is lying, but you don't have any cavities and you definitely don't have gum disease." The dentist and the hygienist lied and billed me for things that I didn't have and didn't need to have done.
I was furious.
The next day, once again, I called the billing lady. I told her that I was wrongfully billed. She says I was not and that I was charged correctly. I was on the phone with her for an hour trying to get reimbursed. I shouldn't have owed Aspen Dental anything because my insurance pays for x-rays and cleanings.
My appointment was in May 2008. I am still going back and forth with Aspen Dental and it's September 26th, 2008. I was reimbursed the full amount that I was billed (469.40) and I was told by the billing lady the beginning of August that everything was taken care of. However, just yesterday I received a call from the billing lady AGAIN. She says I was overpaid and I owe $184. What??? I went through my credit card statements and come to find out, the reimbursed me $157 too much. They're also charging me another $27 that my insurance company would not pay. The insurance company wouldn't pay for it because Aspen Dental didn't specify what the cost was for. After the insurance company contacted Aspen Dental, they learned the $27 was for a drug used for the debridement...I NEVER had a debridement and I was NEVER given any drugs. So I am still stressing out about this "bill" that I am not liable for. This is ridiculous.
I am furious with this company. They should not be able to legally practice business. |
57 days ago by Julie Maloney [