ComplaintsforGold Coast Dental

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had an appointment booked on 12/12/2022 for 12/13/2022 for teeth cleaning, they had a special offer for $49 I went to their clinic all the way from my home to their clinic in ******** "****************************************************************" on 12/13/2022, it is around 20 minutes drive.After reaching there I came to know that they do not have my name or any information,but I gave them all the information over the phone the previous day.I told all this to the hispanic lady who was the receptionist at this place, but she replied that I spoke with the call center and they do not have any information about me. I was really surprised and then she asked me about my insurance information when was a cash patient. Ultimately after going back and forth multople times the receptionist eventually said that she is doing a favor on me by providing me the service for $49. Ultimately because of the insult I had to leave their clinic, this business is just sitting their to do fraud and make money, they are doing false advertising and not honoring what they are advertising, they should be booked under fraud, and their company and clinic should be closed. I will be filing a complaint with the district attorney.

  

  Business response

  09/18/2023

  We appreciate ************** using all resources available to try to reach out to us regarding this matter. That said, ************** has opened a lawsuit which is still active. Although we cannot speak to an open legal case, we do recognize ****************** right to his accusation.

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  4/16/23 new patient visit. I advised office I already had x-rays this year and insurance only covers every 5 years. They replied no problem we have a promotion with x-rays free, (promotion card attached), but was charged $246. Also, did first scaling/deep cleaning that date, which is covered with insurance in-network, office charged $361.38 then and again $361,38 for second deep clean on 5/31/23, total charge $722.76 for in-network work. Receipts attached. Concordia mailed explanation in-network has agreed to accept insurance allowance and not to charge patient any monies (attached) On 4/19/23 I was given ACTIVE TREATMENT PLAN (1) to show charges for extraction and implant total of $8801.00 but my part is $2390.17 which office should only accept insurance allowance and was asking me to sign for a loan for my part amount of $2390.17. I declined and left!! I have insurance claims showing in-network allowances but I continue to receive a bill $276.43 when they owe me $722.76. Submitted to office all of above on 7/7/23 (attached), and have left my 5th message on 8/21/23 to office manager/billing person and I have not one courtesy phone call in regards to this matter. I've checked for headquarter contacts via on-line and no information provided on any of their many websites, so I have no other resources to seek help. I notice the location is where I attended 5 years ago but now has a different name, but I encountered a similar situation where they charged me for deep cleaning and that time, I was dumb enough to sign a ***** Fargo loan to pay for the part that the insurance didn't pay them. It took me months for them to finally close that loan out, after I paid 3 payments, and they finally reimbursed me. It's awful this office does this to their patients. Not all people understand insurance billing, so they simply pay this office, when they shouldn't due to being in-network providers. I have also decided not to return to finish work due to seeing dead cockroaches,

  

  Business response

  10/20/2023

  We appreciate your communication and the opportunity to address your concerns. We would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the delay in resolving your issues. In response to your individual points of concern, we would like to provide a comprehensive clarification:

   

  1. New Patient Cleaning: We acknowledge that you received a statement from Concordia that indicated a charge for the initial exam, x-rays, and consultation. However, please be assured that you are not responsible for any expenses related to your initial examination, x-rays, and consultation. Our obligation is to furnish the insurance company with a detailed account of the services rendered. The information you receive directly from your insurance company is based on your policy's stipulations and coverage. It is important to note that insurance providers may not be familiar with our in-office promotions or special offers.
      
  2. Out-of-Pocket Charge for **************** Your deep cleaning procedures were indeed covered by your insurance, resulting in a credit of $122.26 on your account. The remaining balance of $600 pertains to the laser treatment for the deep cleaning, which is often not covered by most insurance plans. In recognition of the significance of this, we have initiated a re-submission to your insurance provider with the hope of a reconsideration regarding the coverage of the laser treatment required for deep cleanings.
      
  3. Contact/Service: We understand that you have made multiple attempts to contact us, and we sincerely regret that none of your messages received a response. We deeply value our patients, and we are committed to improving our responsiveness in addressing your concerns.
      
  4. Name Change: We acknowledge your previous experience with a different company bearing a different name. Please be assured that our practice assumed ownership of this office a few years ago, and we have no affiliation with the prior entity.
      
  5. Refund Requested: Your account currently reflects a credit of $122.26. We have resubmitted a request for reconsideration of the $600 balance with your insurance provider. Further details regarding any additional credit will be available once we receive a response from Concordia concerning the laser treatment for your procedure.
      

  Thank you for your patience, and please feel free to reach out to us with any additional questions or concerns.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Gold Coast Dental

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife received a deep cleaning service for her teeth. We did have the qualifying insurance, but due to their lack of diligence, they didnt make proper arrangements with the insurance company ahead of time, causing us to pay $1,000 up front with our credit card for the service. They made it seem like we will be getting our reimbursement the next day, but failed to contact my insurance company for a couple of days. I had to make several phone calls to make sure they submit a claim, but its still unsure when that will be. My wife isnt satisfied with the cleaning, and due to the negative confrontation with the staff, we made a choice to never go back for any service. Reading several reviews online made us feel very sorry for many other customers too. My experience with Gold Coast Dental has been a nightmare and theres no guilt or no sense of ownership for what they have done. The mixture of our complete loss of confidence in this business, along with a host of horrific stories from others, questionable quality of service, and refusal to follow up by keeping up with their commitments had fueled my anger. Not only do I regret falling into their pit, Im struggling to get out without any more personal losses. Im sure a lot of us has gone through many instances when we felt deceived, like when buying a hamburger from a store that looks nothing like the delicious menu. The question I beg to ask many businesses is why cant I pay for what I pay for? Why does it seem like I work so much to get less? I just want whats fair. After they charged my credit card, I no longer feel like I have any power. None.

  

  Business response

  09/07/2023

  Gold Coast Dental values its patients and the experience they share with us. Because we care about the feedback provided by Ms. **** we would like to respond to each of her concerns.
  
  Insurance - **. *** stated that she had qualifying insurance but had to pay out of pocket. We do in fact accept all HMO and PPO insurances, that said, Ms. *** came in for a same day emergency appointment and was scheduled after the normal operating hours of her insurance company. Because the insurance office was closed, we were unable to assign her to our office or obtain her benefit information. In this scenario, it is common for dental offices to collect payment based on what a particular type of insurance generally covers. We always do our best to quote lower than we expect the out-of-pocket expenses to be. In the rare circumstance where we have over collected, we would provide a prompt refund to the patient upon confirmation from their insurance provider.
  
  Reimbursement and office interactions Ms. *** states that she called our office multiple times and that there was confusion regarding her refund. Insurance companies do not always respond to us in a timely manner, and this can unfortunately cause some understandable frustrations with patients. One of our team members reached out to Ms. *** and left a voice mail explaining that we were still waiting on her insurance to process. The patient did return the call to our office but was unwilling to speak with anyone in the office and requested her concern be escalated to someone higher up. Our regional manager did reach out to Ms. *** but received her voice mail, so she left a message.
  
  Service The patient, Ms. **** claims she was unhappy with her cleaning. She did not state why in her report, nor at any time did she notify our office that she was not satisfied. We would be more than happy to redo her cleaning if the initial cleaning was not to her satisfaction.
   
  Resolution Ms. *** is requesting a refund for services received. After reviewing Ms. **** charts and notes it seems that Ms. **** insurance stated her out-of-pocket cost should have been $1360.08. Because we did not have the benefit information from her insurance at the time of service, we only charged her $1000. We are more than happy to waive the remaining balance of $360.08 because we know the delays from her insurance company have caused some frustration. Ms. *** did not, however, at any time prior to filing this complaint, make us aware that she was unhappy with the treatment provided. We stand behind our services with a guarantee and are happy to redo Ms. **** cleaning if she is still unsatisfied with the care provided.
  
  Sincerely, Gold Coast Dental

  Customer response

  09/07/2023

  With common sense in mind, if we believe we were truly not satisfied with the service, then we wouldnt repeat or request for additional services.  With the billing issue, the main problem is that I have been promised something, within a particular time, but wasnt delivered.  Trust is paramount for a successful business, especially for a dental business.  With just one visit, my wife and I lost complete confidence with Gold Coast Dental.  When we walked in to speak with the Regional Manager, *****, we noticed that there were not one customer waiting in the lounge when we went in to speak to her and when were walking out to go home, yet the shopping center parking lot was relatively full.  ***** also stated to me that the insurance company is the one that dictates the cost of a procedure, which I found out not to be true.  A partial refund or a formal apology would have been enough, but unfortunately thats not the case.  

  

  Business response

  09/08/2023

  We truly understand the frustration associated with the insurance process. Some insurance companies take longer to provide patient benefit information and the results determined by the insurance company may not always be the outcome hoped for. While we empathize with Mr. and Mrs. **** we cannot waive the treatment costs further.

  If Mr. and Mrs. *** believe that the amount owed for their services is incorrect, I would encourage them to reach out to their insurance company, ****** ************* We are legally obligated to follow the explanation of benefits provided by their insurance. If ****** ************ tells us their out of pocket cost should have been less than they originally specified, we would be happy to immediately provide the adjustment.

  We are still happy to honor the original resolution and will waive the additional amount owed of $360.08 so nothing is currently owed by Mrs. **** Additionally, should Mrs. *** still be unhappy with her cleaning for any reason, we would be happy to redo the treatment for her.

  Thank you for your time and understanding.

  Sincerely,

  Gold Coast Dental

   

  Customer response

  09/14/2023

  I can no longer accept any more services Gold Coast Dental offers simply because I cant trust them any more.  I am afraid of getting charged again, for a repeat process.  Many others, after reading reviews, struggled playing their games.  I did not expect my full refund, but I did expect them to keep their word on refunding me the portion the insurance company would pay.  Insurance already paid $520, and I paid the full amount of $1,000 before the procedure.  Obviously, their statement of charging me for services that are generally covered through most insurance companies are not covered, though I do have a decent covering insurance (most cases they pay 80% of all dental procedures that are covered).  
  The indisputable fact is that the insurance company does not dictate the price for the procedures.  Also, Gold Coast Dental did charge my wife the full amount of the service since they couldnt verify our insurance that day.  Another fact is that they received $520 from my insurance company and overcharged them so that I didnt get any insurance money back.  These facts are proof that Gold Coast Dental are conducting an unfair, shady business.  I have a feeling that I am not the only person complaining to the dental board and I am actually hoping their malpractice continues so that all the customers complaints and voices will mean something to someone these days and will be an end to this despicable behavior once in for all.  God bless Gold Coast Dental and their greed, unrighteousness politics and deep pockets.

• Initial Complaint

  09/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter *************************** was seen once a couple of years ago with ppo dental insurance and I was told to finance $2000. There is no way I owe this much money from one visit and with a good Cigna ppo dental insurance. I have called time and time again and cannot resolve the issue. I dont owe this money and I am still making monthly payments. I want my money refunded and to be provided an account detail of charges FOR WORK COMPLETED showing what my insurance paid and what the out of pocket cost is. I KNOW I AM OWED A LARGE REFUND and the fact that it keeps being collected is fraudulent.

  

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  We acknowledge that ******************* is reaching out on behalf of her daughter regarding this complaint. Because of the legal restrictions in discussing patient care with others, and her daughter being over the age of 18, we are unable to discuss the specifics on this account through these means. We do understand that the ******* family has questions regarding their account status and would be happy to address this with the account holder. We are asking that ****************** please contact ** at ************ to further discuss her concern.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/17/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My mother saw a dentist at this facility on August 30, 2021. She went in for a tooth extraction. First, the dentist removed the wrong tooth. When he tried to extract the correct tooth, the tooth broke. He tried to dig it out. When he could not get it, he did not stop and take an x-ray, he continued pushing. He pushed it until it was right next to her sinuses and left without stitching her up. She received no after care instructions. According to an outside oral surgeon, to remove the tooth will require a surgical procedure. The office has refused a refund and avoided phone calls on the matter. The Office Manager ***** not only avoided phone calls but was dismissive, rude, and condescending when finally reached. Additionally, they were playing a movie with graphic ****** in the dental office. Their yelp page has also been flagged for artificially inflating their scores.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩