It is high time that some dentists are put in the open for their injustice and theft imposed on customers by over charging the insurance company for services rendered.
I was quite alarmed when I received a letter from my insurance company referring to a dental claim for $240.00 when my balance to the doctor was only $ 38.00.
On November 11, 2011 I had my teeth cleaned at a cost of $ 120.00; I paid $ 82.00 upfront and advised the doctor to charge my insurance the balance of $ 38.00. In a letter dated January 18, 2012 from the insurance company it stated that, “ we refer to dental claim dated November 11, 2011 submitted by ……. for $ 240.00 and would like to inform you that an amount of $ 168.00 was paid to Dr ……. by cheque number ….. dated December 19, 2011 and the balance of $ 72.00 must be settled by …..”
First of all, the dentist should only claim 38.00 and not 240.00, secondly he received an overpayment of $ 130.00.
On January 25th I went to the dentist’s office seeking an explanation was to why my insurance was overcharged, he said to me that the fee was for service charge. I then asked “what is your service charge” and he could not answer.
This type of injustice and robbery of consumers by some dentists has been going on for a while and needs to be addressed.
It not only is theft but it affects the customer’s insurance policy and future claims.
My advice to all clients is to pay the doctor for the service and claim from your insurance to avoid being robbed.
Recognition/Congratulations to the “Chief of Police in Dominica” Mr. Cyril Carrette.
One of the great undiscovered joys of life comes from doing everything one attempts to the best of one’s ability. There is a special sense of satisfaction, a pride in surveying such a work, a work which is rounded, full, exact, complete in its parts, which the superficial person who leaves his or her work in a slovenly, slipshod, half-finished condition, can never know. It is this conscientious completeness which turns any work into art. The smallest task, well done, becomes a miracle of achievement.
Og Mandino
Congratulations! Shoot for the stars.
Take a bow. Hear the applause? You deserve it. You’ve played the game and it looks like youve won. Congratulations! I hope you’ve had fun.
Give the world the best you have, and the best will come to you! Congratulations!
Well done and congratulations! The fruit of your labor is sweet, and I must say you deserve it.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Congratulations from all of us. You’re a star in our eyes!
this professinal exploitation is not only among dentist,what about that eye doctor.
thats my cry from time where is the consumer protection department and unless a political party cannot talk to me about that go to HELL
This seems to be the norm these days. Now while some people will claim that you pay the bill then get re-imbursed, we need to bear in mind that not everyone may have the cash at hand. The dentist needs to be honest. Now if you know that when you send the bill to the insurance company and you do not get the full amount then yes maybe you can write out the bill to a sum where you will get your exact amount but not to the exhorbitant amounts some of them claim back for.
I had my experience not too long so I know what you are talking about.
So health professionals while I know that you may want your direct amount for your job done please think about the discrepancies you are putting your clients at because it will later have some effect on their insurance
These types of practices will affect the insured. Soon insurance companies will raise the cost to the consumers.
if it was an oversight why wasnt the customer refunded, it is not his money
stop being naive let me tell you, the point is not about the insurance paid, it is about doctors reaping off clients and overcharging. this is not an oversight, this is a nasty habit that needs to stop
ha, i see the disease spreading to all nuk and cranny in dominica…
well you shall reap what you sow, we as a nation glorify crime by praising very corrupt politicians and wrong doing, now it is spreading like a wild fire and will destroy us if we do not find god, and i mean find him fast
yes it is robbery, they are abusing clients and this needs to stop. There must be something that can be done
You too sot. You making noise for that. You do not owe him. It could have been an oversight on his assistant part. At least the insurance paid.
that seem to be theft to me !
Yes I agree it is theft; however, the client bear some responsibility. He was absolutely wrong to leave a blank signed form for the dentist.
Do you also subscribe to the notion that if a woman dresses in skimpy clothes, she is partly responsible for being raped?
The dentist is wrong, period!! He has no moral values. If he can steal from an insurance company, he can steal from anyone.
This is high way robbery very unjust , the government needs to put laws in place to protect it citizen on all front. The health minister should take note. Dominica health service needs to be mordenised and reform.
Dental treatment and care should be free to all students and the elderly , and we need to educate our people to take care of their teeth.
So many people have decay teeth. Dental treatment is also to expensive in Domininica for our living standard. The individual should take the dentist to court for deception. He should have explained in advance the” hidden service charge” when he or she paid. Take the matter further make a example of him.
I think this issue is more than just a dentist overcharging.. I was sooo tempted to write into DNO recently because I was absolutely pissed off at a grocery store. After having three prior incidents.. I confronted the floor supervisor about three items on the shelves that were more than 3 months expired mingled in with others of their kind that had not yet expired. He was embarassed.. and offered to refund me for the products that I had bought. A week later, I was back and saw that the same products were still there! I have also instances where stores have had the expiration dates on products RUBBED off!!! UNBELIEVABLE!! WHO PROTECTS THE CONSUMERS?!?!?!?
Once you have the evidence, you don’t have to be afraid to name the thief.
Trust me is not only dentists that robbing people…Just last week my 75 year old father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease visited a famous “consultant” His normal fees are $120.00, but he charged my dad $250.00. Now you know those old people already, they may forget their name, but they don’t forget how to count money, so immediately he came home, told my mom about it. Some of those dentists and doctors just too voleh!!!
You should demand a refund, or take the dentis to small claims court.
That is how you can help the puplic, by exposing them and taking them to court or protest in front of there office on your spear time, and get the puplic behind you, again thanks for standing for your rigths.
I understand your plight and I empathize with you. Bear in mind it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not leave blank signed forms for your doctor/dentist. Before the doctor can submit the claim, you must authorize payment to him/her; and as such you are also at fault for giving the dentist carte blanche.
In my experience, I always let the doctor fill out his portion of the form, append his signature and I take the form with me. It is my insurance, and I will be the one submitting the form. That means if the amount he gave me and what is on the form does not correspond, then the form does not get submitted.
In future, please bear that in mind.
this is a way of doctors making fast cash in a struggling economy. people must take serious note regarding this practice..these doctors are prone to malpractices and you should never tell the doctor to charge your insurance, Always pay the bill and you do the insurance claim.
Word of caution
wow!!!! i think that’s unfair business practice…. i wouldn’t know about that kind of thing because i pay doctor/dentist full cash money… but wouldn’t the insurance have to pay the full cost?? i’m guessing that people pay monthly to their insurance… why would they have to send a bill to the person.
mr/mrs dentist if you are reading… this is bad bzness practice….
that Dentpet should be exposed.
As a consumer i need to know who the culprit is, so i can be on my guard. Tell us who he is brother consumer