“That was supposed to be free to him to end up costing a week of his salary,” Warren said.
When Warren called the dental office for answers, she discovered the issue: a subcontracted dentist had performed the examination.
“They said that day we had a subcontracted dentist come in. And that is the dentist that performed the exam. And he’s not a participating provider,” Warren said.
Warren said no one warned her son before the cleaning began that he would be seeing an out-of-network provider.
After posting about the experience on Nextdoor, Warren discovered she wasn’t alone.
“I made a posting about it on Nextdoor. And it turned out maybe half a dozen more people said the same thing happened to them,” Warren said.
Warren was able to get relief after disputing the charge. Insurance covered part of the out-of-network bill, and the dental office agreed to refund the remaining difference.
“I was surprised that they did call back and offer me a refund,” Warren said.
Despite the resolution, Warren wanted to share her experience to prevent others from facing similar surprises.
“I was pretty upset about it. And that’s why I reached out to (WCPO 9). I also reached out to the attorney general,” Warren said.
Takeaways to avoid surprise dental bills
Before your appointment:
- Ask whether the dentist seeing you is in your insurance network, especially at offices with multiple or rotating dentists
- Confirm network status even if you’ve been a long-time patient at the practice
- Request written confirmation of in-network status if needed
If you receive a surprise bill:
- Dispute the charge immediately
- Call the dental office, your insurance company and the billing department
- Keep detailed records of all conversations, including who you spoke with, when and what was discussed
- File complaints with appropriate agencies if necessary
A brief conversation before treatment could save hundreds of dollars in unexpected charges; that way, you don’t waste your money.
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