ComplaintsforAcworth Family Dentistry

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My dentist is requesting 1700$ and never sent us an invoice until now (6months later). They continued to let us fill more cavities in various different appointments and did not let us know we were racking up a debt. I was also not aware we were out of network. I would have stopped having appointments if they had reached out with timely invoices explaining we owed money to them. They blame the insurance company and said that the insurance company had been sending us the claim money instead of them BUT they just realized it. We cashed some of the checks and the money has been spent. My son has special needs and has lots of doctors appointments so when we get checks from our insurance company- we just chalk it up to that we overpaid somewhere. I have tried to resolve this dispute with them and offered to pay 50-60% of the bill and make it go away. They are only offering a 10% discount. My real issue is that they let us continue to come there and didnt ask for any further payment (we have already paid them over 1200+ out of pocket for cavities) and just now reached out with a threatening TEXT- then followed up with an email saying essentially, insurance companies are slow, its not our fault we didn't realize they werent paying us. Now my family is in a hardship and they are unwilling to come to a resolution that benefits both. i am happy to share all emails containg their admission of just now reaching out with an invoice (6 months later).Thank you

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  See attached

  Customer response

  03/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 21330514
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am seeking a reasonable resolution to this matter. I am requesting 25% off the total bill and we will pay in full. I have outlined my reasonings below in bullet form.

  1. I have always been in good financial standing with your practice as noted since 2011.

  2. I have always attempted to avoid owing in money to your practice to the extent of even calling before appointments to get price quotes. I rescheduled an appointment for a week later so I could pay in full and remain in good standing

  3. These bills were allowed to grow and grow and grow over the period of six months. We had multiple appointments for these fillings and not once we're we alerted to a balance that was accruing (at an alarming rate). Even when we were alerted about a balance SIX months after the initial appointment we still had not recieved a formal invoice. We were provided with an informal invoice at that time via email that was not sufficenet. We have since received the invoice and are attempting to settle it.

  4. We feel like we have been unfairly treated and are simply requesting that your office see our point of view. If we were alerted to growing bills, we simply would have stopped further treatments until we were able to pay your office in full. It is simply unethical to allow patients to continue racking up charges without informing them in a timely manner so they could "stop the bleeding" by paying and spacing out appointments futher.

  5. We were offered the option of Care Credit. I am not comfortable taking out a line of credit to pay a surprise bill. The company and the terms in the fine print are not acceptable to our family.

  We have a special needs child with bills from multiple specialists that we stay in good financial standing with. I am simply asking for the opportunity to borrow less money to pay your office back. Your office has always been great in the previous years and I have never had an issue before. I believed after over 12 years being a patient, your office would be more amenable to finding middle ground
  .
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  03/19/2024

  March 19, 2024
  
  Since our last correspondence, CareFirst BCBS has processed ***** visit on 1/16/2024.  CareFirst has now paid a total of $1091.50 to ******/****.  This money was to be used to pay for their dental treatment received at Acworth Family Dentistry.  I feel the money paid by the insurance company should not be discounted.  We will offer a 25% discount on the remaining patient portion.  
  Here is a break down:
  Money due that was paid to the patient by insurance:  $1091.50 
  Money due from patient:  $990 - $247.50 = $742.50
  Total due from patient to Acworth Family Dentistry - $1834.00
  Thank you,
  *************************, DDS
  
  
  
  

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