I had a very disappointing experience with this office regarding my wisdom teeth removal insurance…read morerequest.
I visited the office a few weeks ago and was told they would submit the request to my insurance and that I should wait about three weeks. During that time, I followed up multiple times and was repeatedly told that the request had already been submitted, even though the office could not provide a clear proof that anything had actually been sent.
I later called my insurance company directly, and they told me they had never received any request from this office. After I informed the office of this, they said they would resend it before closing. I checked with my insurance again the next day, and insurance still had no record of receiving anything.
This caused unnecessary delay in my treatment and wasted several weeks of my time. The most concerning part was the lack of clear communication and the inability to provide proof of submission while repeatedly telling me it had been submitted.
For patients in New York who experience similar issues with a dentist or dental office, complaints about professional misconduct can be filed with the New York State Education Department Office of Professional Discipline, also known as NYSED OPD (download complaint form through their website). NYC 311 can also direct patients to the appropriate complaint process.
Update: Based on my conversation with your office this morning, they now stated that the insurance request was submitted on 05/26 and said they would send me a screenshot showing that it was sent. However, this is still confusing because when I previously followed up about a week ago, one assistant told me she could not see any record of the submission, while I was still told that the request had been sent, your office stated that the assistant who told me she could not see any record of the submission was newly hired. I understand that new staff may still be learning office procedures. However, that does not resolve my concern.
Until now, my insurance company has told me they have no record of receiving the request.
I am willing to resolve this professionally, but the issue remains the same: conflicting information, lack of clear documentation, and delay in treatment.
BTW, I really appreciate your super fast reply on my google review, I hope the actual insurance issue can be handled just as quickly and clearly.
UPDATE: Thank you for your super fast Google review response. I understand that insurance authorization can involve third-party systems and processing timelines. However, my concern is that I was repeatedly told the request had been submitted, while my insurance told me they had no record of receiving it. I was also given conflicting information by the office, including being told that one assistant could not see any record of the submission, and later being told that the assistant was newly hired.
I understand that new staff may make mistakes. However, from a patient's perspective, the office is still responsible for providing accurate status updates, clear records, and giving proof of submission when needed. Blaming third-party system or new staff doesn't resolve the issue. The issue remains that there was conflicting communication, lack of clear documentation at the time.
In addition, I want to clarify that it is not that I do not want to contact your office directly. I had to call the office more than 40 times also send emails before I was finally able to reach someone. When the call was answered, I was told that the office only has one assistant answering calls and that the office is busy, that does not excuse the lack of communication, the difficulty reaching the office, or the conflicting information.
From my experience, leaving a Google review seemed to be the fastest way to get a response from your office. I do appreciate the prompt response here, but I wish the same level of communication and urgency had been provided through the normal patient communication channels before this issue became public.
