Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 6/12/2024, I had an appointment at Barre Dental Group for a consultation and to have a cavity filled. I had been a previous patient of Barre Dental Group and had stopped seeing them during the height of the Covid pandemic because of the pandemic and because they told me they would no longer be taking ******** clients. I am still on ********. However, most of those funds were used up this year on other procedures and I wasn't completely satisfied with those dentists. So, I decided to go back to Barre Dental Group as a self-pay, who was promised funds from my case manager at Washington County Mental ******. My case manager assured me that all Barre Dental Group had to do was call a number and verify they were a dental provider and give them the amount and they would receive payment. I was also told by my case manager that this dentist has to work with the ********** of ****** by law.So, I explained this to one of the receptionists at BDG, who was very rude to me, even making the comment that "if you were to buy a jug of milk at the store, they would want same day payment". I tried to overlook this and explained BDG would get paid right away. Also, I referred to my history of never having not paid. Long story short, my case manager talked to a person named ******, who had apparently assured her everything was straightened out and I went into my appointment, where I spoke to a different receptionist who ALSO confirmed that everything was all set BEFORE my appointment. However, when I got into the exam room, the dentist, who goes by Dr. * (I'm not sure of his full name) told me (after a cursory look into my mouth) that the appt. was $391 and he was unwilling to work with the Dpt. of ****** (which would only take a phone call on his part). Further, he refused to even speak with my case manager or her supervisor about this. His general attitude was very hostile to people in poverty and he refused to treat a tooth that has been in pain for over a year.

  Business response

  06/17/2024

  I personally had several conversations with ************************* indicating we will not "bill" Washington County Mental Health for an appointment and wait for payment after the fact. We operate on a pay at service policy with self-pay patients. She indicated she would pay at the evaluation appointment and I would provide a detailed receipt with all procedures and dental codes for her to submit to WCMH for her reimbursement. Subsequently, her case manage who goes by **** left a voicemail asking to have a treatment plan sent over to her for ******************* upcoming treatment. I left a return message indicating I cannot release this information without written consent from ***************. A couple days later, I received another message from **** asking for the same information. I again left another message for **** indicating we do not know at this moment what treatment is needed, we will only know once we see *************** and can diagnose. Also, I am not able to give her specific information without consent. However, *************** will leave with a printed treatment plan and if she chooses to share that information herself, she can, I cannot. I have never talked with **** over the phone, only voicemails back and forth. 

  Every phone conversation that has been had with *************** by all the staff at our office has been consistent. We will not bill WCMH for services. The patient is expected to pay at the time of service for any work performed. With written consent any information may be shared with WCMH. 

  Our practice prides itself on providing excellent care to ALL of our patients regardless of disability or any other factors. We do however, expect to be treated fairly and respectfully as well as be paid for services rendered. 

  Customer response

  06/17/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Barre Dental Group has made no good faith effort to satisfy this complaint and they told multiple lies in their response. For example, Barre Dental Group asserts that they consistently told me they would not accept ********** of ****** Health funds, but I spoke to one of the receptionists IN PERSON the day of the appointment and she told me that the other receptionist had "worked things out" with my case manager and that I would be "all set". Further, Barre Dental Group suggests that they would not have received payment from me for treatment, when this is not true. I had informed them that if they did not receive payment from the ********** of ****** Health that I would pay with my credit card. I even offered to leave my card number on file with them as collateral, to which they informed me this would "not be necessary". 

  I have dealt with Barre Dental Group for a long time, having approx. $5,000 in work done and I have NEVER not paid. However, they treated me as though I was a deadbeat who did not pay their bills. Further, they claim to be accessible to all people with disabilities, yet they cut off ******** clients during the height of the pandemic, when their services were needed the most (other dentists not accepting new patients), when ******** is the main source of funding for poor people with disabilities. Additionally, they refuse to work with the ********** of ****** Health, even though no contract was/is required and they would've received guaranteed and prompt payment. Dr. * said to me the day of treatment that he "needed to pay his staff", but I fail to see how refusing service to me furthered his goal of paying his staff and it also implied that he would not have gotten paid by the ********** of ****** Health. 

  This business lies and has not even put forth so much as an apology as to how I was talked to (for example, comments suggesting I'm a deadbeat). Lastly, they made no attempt to even discuss the issue with the ********** of ****** Health to see even what the funding would entail. Business is cash and carry. You trust the dentist not to mess up your teeth; dentist doesn't trust you to pay your bills. Go there at your own risk.

  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

   

   

  Business response

  06/26/2024

  I received the rejection of the complaint. We stand by the fact that we repeatedly told the patient payment was expected at the day of service. We would be happy to provide a detailed statement showing services provided, codes, and costs so the patient can seek reimbursement from their social worker. This message has been constant among all of our staff to both the patient and the social worker. We did stop taking ******************* in 2020. We have always provided other practices, that we are aware of, who accept ******************* as an alternate. We stand by our original response. No further comment is needed. I am sorry we were not able to meet the patient's specific and unique needs but we stand by our policy. 

  Customer response

  07/02/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Barre Dental Group continues to make reasonable sounding replies like "payment was expected the day of service", which of course is a normal expectation. However, I hope I have made it clear in my previous responses that I was not trying to get out of paying, that I have done business with Barre Dental Group many times in the past and have always paid, and they were going to get paid this time. Further, Barre Dental Group has falsely stated that Washington County ****** ****** was the organization that would have been funding these services. It was, in fact, the ****************** of ****** ******. This is just a detail, as BOTH organizations are reputable and required by law to pay a provider if they tell a provider that they are going to pay them. Further, in corresponding with me, I believe Barre Dental Group has ignored the rules of the Better Business Bureau in using personally identifying information for me, such as both my first and last name. I have not used the full names of any of the people that I dealt with at Barre Dental Group.

  In short, Barre Dental Group stopped taking an insurance primarily used by poor and disabled people, which they have every right to do. Taken alone, that would not necessarily indicate a prejudice towards poor and disabled people. However, they were contacted by a legitimate agency with guaranteed ability to fund services and they represented to my case manager that things were "all set", the exact same comment they made to me on the day I was to receive services, where I specifically asked if things had been handled BEFORE I was seen by the dentist. So, it is true that Barre Dental Group told me they expected to get paid the day of service, but they also represented to me that they had agreed to call the ****************** of ****** to get that payment. And all they had to do was call and give their provider information and cost of treatment.

  It may sound like a good line to say that the ****************** of ****** could just "reimburse me" but they were told by both me and my case manager that it did NOT work that way. They were the treating provider and the Department would need information directly from them to reimburse THEM. Bottom line is that after being a client of Barre Dental Group for years, Barre Dental Group did NOT treat me respectfully, made disparaging comments about my ability to pay that went beyond merely stating that payment had to be paid that day, and was unwilling to even take a call from my case manager or her supervisor on the day of service if there had been a miscommunication. Nor has Barre Dental Group ever apologized to me if there had been rude service or a miscommunication. 

  Barre Dental Group will say that they "need" the payment the same day, but arguably they would've gotten the funds had they followed through on making even a minimal effort to accept ANY funding source that a poor or disabled person might have access to. I had told them that I would give them my credit card number as collateral and pay with that if they had even tried to cooperate with a GOVERNMENT agency and for some reason it hadn't worked out. They didn't trust me. They won't trust you. But apparently, you're supposed to trust them with your dental care. It's one-sided and shameful. So, I wonder, how much money did they make for denying me service? Zero dollars. Seems like they didn't "need" the payment that much or they might've at least made any attempt to cooperate with either WCMH or VDH. At no point did I say that I wouldn't pay them. They continue to imply that that is the case.

  Thanks
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

   

   

*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. ↩