Collections for Dental Bill?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

To summarize, I refused to pay $350 for a cancelled dental appointment in July. I have sent back proof about changing insurance, I have sent proof the dental office was not eligible for coverage with my new insurance (they are but OUT OF NETWORK). I called and reported them to the insurance company, and it turns out they have been reported multiple times for violations of misleading people to get work done when it wasn't covered.

I have written two more letters saying I'm not paying it. Got another 3rd letter saying I'm responsible for the $350.

What are my options? My DH says to keep saying I'm not paying. This time to explain the cost of the cancellation was way above the reasonable guidelines of the state. They were deceptive, which they were but refuse to acknowledge. I also reported them to the state dental office, but hey they obviously don't care and have been reported before.

Can they send it to collections? How will this affect my credit? What are their recourse? Should I offer to settle for $50?

[Scanner]

Offering to settle it for $30-50 may be the best course of action but given his unethical history, I'd get the account balance paid in full letter.

I confess I don't know too much about the credit industry but my feeling on this is if you ever get a mark on your record, you could write a "letter of explanation" to potential lenders and they wouldn't hold it against you.

If lenders only did business with people with unblemished credit records, they wouldn't do business at all. This is America after all. If you otherwise have good credit and this was a dispute, I know I wouldn't hold it against you.

You may have a small claims case against him but again, I confess I don't know what uncivil action you could charge him with.

Again, if you really want to "hurt him", I'd report the activity to dental board. File a complaint - you can do it onlline. I know my board has regulations on charges and fees written right in my practice acts. Chiropractors years back where advertising free exams and then the pt. would come in and their insurance would get hit. So, they drafted regs against it.

I can tell you - no professional wants to go up against the board, whether they have a case or not.

I would send this letter:

"Dear Dr. Dentist:

I have received repeated requests for demand of payment for $350.00 for a missed appt. This was not disclosed prior to making the appointment and is way out of line for usual and customary for a missed appointment regardless.

If you do not cease and desist in sending me bills, I will write a complaint to the local dental board taking the matter up with them.

My position will be when I go in front of them is that if you as the board think the charges are valid, I will now charge my next dentist $50 for every 10 minutes I wait for him.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

I will also contact the local papers for coverage on this as you are making a spectacle of yourself.

Go ahead. . .call my bluff.

Sincerely,

LivingAlmostLarge"

It needs polish but you get the idea.

PS: whoops. . .I can see you did report it to the dental board. I think they have to respond to the complaint but boards generally only meet 1x/quarter so just because they are slow doesn't mean they just threw the complaint out. Most boards are under the Dept of Consumer Affairs. If they don't respond soon, go above their head. That's why states have a Dept. of Consumer Affairs.

[InDebtInDC]

Report them to the board/BBB in your state. If they report a missed payment, dispute the charges with the credit bureau showing the delinquency.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I did report them both to the dental board and BBB. Probably why they are pissed. And insurance company.

I will write the letter and mail it off tomorrow.

[sonj]

I have heard of dental offices charging a cancellation fee if not canceled within a certain time, but never had I heard of 350.00 for a cancellation fee. Did you sign anything? If so check to see what there policy is...try calling them and pretending to be a new patient and ask them if there is a cancellation fee.

[disneysteve]

I'm surprised nobody has suggested speaking with an attorney. If you have a lawyer who you use for family matters, give him/her a call. A letter from an attorney will usually get a business to back off from an unreasonable demand much quicker than a letter from a customer. I've gone that route more than once over the years for various reasons.

Sometimes, just the threat of legal action is enough, so you writing a letter to the dentist mentioning getting your attorney involved might not be a bad idea.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Nope haven't got an attorney. What's the repercussions of not paying and fighting more? Will they have to pay an attorney to come after me?

[InDebtInDC]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

Nope haven't got an attorney. What's the repercussions of not paying and fighting more? Will they have to pay an attorney to come after me?

They may take you to small claims court. At worst a judge will rule against you and you'll have to pay.

You don't need an attorney for anything, but it's more effective to have one. But the cost of legal fees is almost always very high so most of the time it's not worth it unless you get free legal representation.

[asmom]

I had a dispute with a hotel in Alabama about my bill and without going into detail, the hotel basically reneged on a promise that they made in writing. I tried to resolve it maturely by speaking with the hotel manager but he ignored me, my phone calls and my email. So I calmly wrote a summary of my dispute to the consumer affairs division of the state's attorney general. Within 5 days of me filling out the online form, the hotel called me to inform me they would be refunding me my money. No fuss, no muss, no cost to me. Every state has one, you should contact yours. Additionally, they now have a record of that company's unethical practices and if there are additional instances, they have the evidence to go after them.

[ishanbansal]

Dental treatment is one of the most expensive medical treatment. Many a times, people do not carry any Dental Insurance. In such cases, the cost of the dental treatment becomes very expensive and you have to pay all the expenses out of your pocket.

A very cheap option is to use a Discount Dental Plan. Discount dental plan is NOT insurance plan, but discount programs. Essentially, if you have a Discount Dental Plan, you get huge discounts on expenses incurred on Dental Treatment. A Discount Dental Plan normally features savings of 10% to 60% on most dental procedures.

[Goldy1]

I live int he state of MI. I used to send people to collections for unpaid bills when I was a medical biller for an md. I was told I could not send the "late fee" part of their bill to colllections, just the service part, so I would assume a canceled apt fee would also apply. I mean, what service did you get that is unpaid? lol

Our missed apt fes were about $20 for a specialist.

I should have been a dentist. lol

I know how frustrating this is having had a recent billing issue with my dentist.

[maclover]

Wow. 350$ for a missed appt. In our office, we do not charge for missed appointment. We do charge 50$ for a missed Saturday appt.

350$ seems excessive.

[Caoineag]

I don't know if you have something similar in your area but in Denver Colorado there is Tom Martino. He a radio show consumer advocate, talk about negative publicity for a company. See if you can find one of those guys, they make a show about it and go after the business on your behalf, tends to get even the most gung ho sleazebags to back off. Worth trying. After all, you don't want that to happen to someone else either.

[tripods68]

LAL, Personally I wouldn't pay it nor negotiate a lower amount with the collector agency. If you have a reasonable "cause" of why you shouldn't pay it, then don't. Take them to court as Steve suggested. Check with all 3 credit reporting agency first if this affect your credit score. Check also with your state (consumer affair) if this can be tack as a "lien" of any kind against you.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Actually I sent them a letter and said I was sending it to the BBB. They never got back to me. I have no idea what happened.

[DebbieL]

I thought that charge was outrageous and ridiculous when you posted about it last summer. I guess they really don't care about losing their patients, do they? Jerks. I have NEVER heard of anything like that for canceling an appointment. Maybe $25-$50 at most for canceling at the last minute, but not anything like $350. I wouldn't pay it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

They likely bully people all the time. Can't blame them for trying.

[creditcardfree]

I think I would contact the state attorney general. This link has links to attorney generals of all 50 states.

Good luck.

[cptacek]

Is there a "consumer beat" or something on one of your local TV channels? The reporters go by and basically bug the business until they back off..