ComplaintsforAkhrass Dental Implant & Cosmetic Center

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a plan from their office, which I paid 400.00 for now they refuse to allow me to use full benefits. Also this business will not give me any records from said plan. I purchased this plan in August/ September of 2023 this plan expires in one year.

  Business response

  08/02/2024

  This patient signed up for  our in-house Dental Club.  Attached  you will find the contract signed  by said patient, which includes all that the plan covers. (2 cleanings  per year, 2 Dr. Exams per year, Necessary x-rays, & 1 emergency exam per year, if needed). The plan is $400 which is nonrefundable.  It also provides a 12% discount on all dental work, provided that the patient does not also file with any dental insurance company.  Finance companies such as Proceed Finance and Care Credit may not be used to pay for  the annual membership fee.  All patients, including this one, receive a copy of this signed  contract, along with all written documentation of what is covered with the plan.

  The plan does NOT mean that the dental work provided is FREE.  The doctor performed  nearly $2000 work of dental care to said patient (patient ledger with records of work performed is attached), of which the patient refused to pay, and is still carrying a $1991.10 balance.  Because of  refusal of payment, an attempt was made to send a certified letter (also attached), which served as written dismissal of  the patient from  the practice.  The patient refused the certified letter  and  had it sent back to our office unopened.  The patient then scheduled another appointment, and upon arrival, another attempt to hand deliver the dismissal letter was  also refused,  and  the patient again refused to pay for the balance of the dental work previously performed.  

  All information regarding the plan, and its coverage parameters were given to the patient the day the contract was signed, and the $400 annual membership fee was paid. We are happy to forward dental records to the dental office  of her choice for future care.  The patient  did pay for the Dental Club in full, but apparently failed to realize that patients ARE STILL REQUIRED to pay for dental care provided, and our office has  yet to receive payment for any of it.  Our office has  no expectation of receiving payment from this patient (though we would have the right to send this patient to collections), and as stated  multiple times, the membership fee is  NONREFUNDABLE, this patient just needs to locate another provider.

  Business response

  08/16/2024

  Per the lat message from the patient filing a complaint:  We'll try to go through this again, since she clearly doesn't understand how things operate.  This patient came to us to have work done.  AND DID NOT PAY FOR THE DENTAL WORK of nearly $2000.00  

  The patient was immediately unsatisfied with the work, did not return to our office, sought out  another dental provider, and made grossly false statements claiming that  harm was done to another tooth during  her appointment.  She did purchase our dental plan which DOES cover an emergency visit.  Our office does indeed give a 100% guarantee on dental work- PROVIDED that patients actually pay for said work.  If the patient had bothered to read the certified letter that  was sent to her, (which she returned unopened) she was informed that our office  would see her for the next 30 days until she could  find another dentist.   She did end up returning  to our office, but again REFUSED to pay for her outstanding balance.  

  The situation is much like stealing a television from a retail store and then becoming upset when no one will accept the televisions warranty.  Our office is not  a free clinic.  Once again, we have every right to send this patient to collections, but to save the headache of having to deal with a situation such as this and wasting valued time with someone who clearly can't understand how  things work, we decided to not make an attempt at collecting the balance.  Dr. Akhrass has been in practice for 21 years and has NEVER had a complaint  filed against  him, has NEVER received a  negative review from a patient,  and is an esteemed professional not only in our community, but across the state of Tennessee.  

  However  broken this Doctor/patient relationship has become, Dr. Akhrass is STILL willing  to see this patient and make sure that she is  100% satisfied with  her dental work - but first SHE HAS TO PAY HER BILL!  He is not, and will not spend any more  FREE time on patients with that large of an outstanding balance.

  This isn't rocket science. Other than agreeing  to fix every issue that the patient claims in exchange for the money that  is owed to our office, I am unsure of how else to resolve this issue.   

  Customer response

  08/16/2024

  I would gladly pay this bill, if the dentist would have done the services correctly. He did a root canal, which I have nerve pain. He did an extraction, which he broke my front crown while doing so. He did a crown, which has fallen off now and he refuses to fix anything. Why should I pay the bill, if he doesn't fix this?

   

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