In July of last year, 2015, our daughter had a medical consultation with pediatric periodontist, Dr. Kenneth Levine. After examining our daughter's upper lip and tongue, Dr. Kenneth Levine informed us that our daughter had both an upper lip tie "labial frenectomy" and tongue tie "lingual frenectomy". It was explained to us that we would have to pay out of pocket for the procedure and then a claim would be submitted to our insurance company.
As desperate parents and our daughter's inability to latch and/or breastfeed, as well as her acid reflux, we wanted to do what Dr. Kenneth Levine emphasized to be medically necessary to do. After revising bother her upper lip tie "labial frenectomy" and tongue tie "lingual frenectomy" by Dr. Kenneth Levine, we had to pay out of our own pocket well over $1,000.00 and a claim was submitted by Dr. Kenneth Levine's office to our insurance company.
5 months after my daughter's procedure, we were still going back and forth with our insurance company and Dr. Kenneth Levine's office. Dr. Kenneth Levine's office did not submit the claim correctly to our insurance company and when additional information was requested by our insurance, his office would not provide it.
Now fast forwarding to June 2016, I noticed that my daughter's top front teeth are separated from what looks like her lip tie reattaching (I should also add that I couldn't lift her upper lip all the way either). I called Dr. Kenneth Levine's office to ask what their protocol is for reattachment after revision; after speaking to one of his front desk secretaries, she told me that Dr. Kenneth Levine would want my daughter to come in so he could take a look at it and if it did in fact reattach, he would revise it, free of charge. So we decidedly to go ahead and make an appointment.
Today when we went in for our scheduled appointment, the assistant asks us why we were there, we explain to her that we suspect that our daughter's lip tie has reattached, the assistant notes it down on her clipboard and tells us to wait, that Dr. Kenneth Levine will be in to see us in a moment. Before he even walks into the room, he already announces in the hall that, "All babies have a gap in their teeth until their adult teeth come in". I told him that I am fully aware of that, but there is clearly a tie between her two top teeth. He acted as if it was an imposition to see us, or take a look. With full attitude, he says, "Fine! I'll look for you". So he puts a pair of gloves on and attempts to look, as she's crying and pulling away and says, "she's fine". Confirming, I ask, "There's absolutely no reattachment of her lip tie?" He raises his voice at me and asks, "What do you want me to do?!" At that point we were done; who talks to their patients like a piece of trash?
I'm ashamed to have ever referred anyone to this doctor; after my experience with this office, I was talking to one of my friend's whose child was also revised by Dr. Kenneth Levine and she told me that when she called his office to check on the claim, she learned that they had never submitted it.
Dr. Kenneth Levine's office is not a reputable one and is in fact taking advantage of new parents in a vulnerable place. This office knows how to play the game, they charge you before the procedure, out of pocket almost DOUBLE what insurance is going to pay. Then once they've got your money, they submit a claim to your insurance company. His office charges $685 for tongue tie revision, our insurance only paid roughly $400 back and his office charges $385 for upper lip tie revision, insurance only paid roughly $200. My hope is to deter other parents from falling victims to this apparent scheme; I will most definitely be warning the parent's in the tongue/lip tie group I am in. Do yourself a favor and drive an extra few miles to a Doctor that is actually reputable. read more