This experience went from GREAT to I am NO longer a customer/patient and will never return…read more
I don't know if what they do is legal, but it is definitely not ethical.
The issue with my first visit was when the hygienist asked if I wanted a fluoride treatment. So, not knowing it'd be EXTRA, because she didn't tell me, I was like... "OK". I didn't know until after my appointment was over that she was trying to upsell me into extra services without disclosure or letting me know how much.
At the time, I thought she was confirming that I was ok with it (because some people have concerns with too much fluoride). I don't work in the dental industry. I don't know what I don't know. I also do not recall any other dentist ever asking me this question, so also thought it was something they confirmed and/or provided at this newer office.
When I go to the counter to "check out" , she says I owe $40.00 which was surprising as this was a covered visit for a standard cleaning. That's when I realize what that hygienist pulled.
I could ask if you want mushrooms & onions with your steak and not tell you it was 40 extra dollars, too. Would they like that?? I sure didn't think a few minutes it took for a "fluoride treatment" would be $40, either. Don't try to sell things to people as if it's part of the service by not saying how much it will cost, period.
I had a filling redone as I've had several times in the past. All of my fillings are from when I was a young child, so they deteriorate and I am used to needing to get them redone. I have never experienced having to pay hundreds of dollars for the procedure as I've always had dental insurance. They told me this huge price, and so I asked why would I need to pay you $400-$500 for new fillings? My insurance should cover 80%, and they said back to me NO JOKE -- they are charging me FULL PRICE "up-front" and will refund me "later" after my insurance has paid their part. I do NOT consent to paying money that I do not owe! And why should I, as the patient, be out any money for weeks and/or months before the insurance was applied? That's not on me, that's the insurance that takes long!
Like, what is this? I have never at any insurance whether dental, medical, eye, tell me that I pay full price for everything out-of-pocket up-front and then I have to wait for a REFUND after the insurance processes? What in the world is this nonsense.
I the patient, your dang customer, why would I hand over my dollars for you to hang on to INTEREST-FREE (are they making interest on MY money? -- while we wait for insurance to process, if so, that would be theft as that is my money and therefore my interest).
Is this LEGAL? It's definitely NOT ethical & unheard of.
Then, when the company I worked for changed hands, so did the insurance provider. Wynkoop Dentistry caught wind of it (somehow) prior to a cleaning appointment and texted me to say I better go upload new info to some random link platform or else I'm gonna pay full price.
Again with this always trying/threatening to make me pay full price??
I had it at that point. I'm at work and I have stuff to do and if I don't do their clerical work for their office then my punishment is to pay them money for my "free" cleaning? You can absolutely forget it!
They pay staff by the hour to do that work and if it's more convenient for ME to give you new info when I come for my appointment, that's what we're doing. Learn some humility - this office gets paid because I choose to go there and be their patient/customer. They don't get to make demands or threats when I'm the reason they're making an income.
Then they have the audacity to say they're sending me these ridiculous texts so that my appointment goes "smooth" and so that I don't have to "worry".
I had NO worry!!! None, zero, zilch. I know with 100% certainty of my insurance coverage. The [previously nonexistent] worry came AFTER they sent me these text threats! It would have been "smooth" otherwise if I came to my appointment & provide the updated insurance then, like other offices do!
I liked it is a very modern office, but they're passing on costs to patients it seems to me. I'm sure the dentists don't blink at fancy meals, live in multi-bedroom/bathroom homes, and probably have second vacation homes while I have a 1BR apt, so no they don't need "my" money that bad.
There were some other positives I had prior them trying to basically extort money from me, but forget it at this point, those positives are washed away since I won't return.
This is all female dentistry, too, so something I'd want to support and it's really freaking sad this is how these ladies operate.
There is not a shortage of dentists and I can find a new one in 5 minutes. Y'all ought to be ashamed and I'm really curious if this is something the governing dental licensing bodies would say are appropriate business practices.
