I'm so angry - dentist charged for "behavior management"!

[IndianaPrincess]

I said I wouldn't post again, but I feel the need to correct this because it is patently false. If something is not covered by insurance, then it is the patient's responsibility. If a patient wants veneers to make their teeth look better, no insurance company in the world will cover it, but you bet that the patient will be paying for it. If the insurance company decides that the patient could have had a filling instead of a crown (regardless of the fact that the patient really needed a crown), then the patient will be paying for it. An insurance company trying to dictate what a dentist can and cannot do outside the scope of the policy has been found illegal in multiple states.

Insurance companies are in it for their own profit and the patients ideal care is not their number one priority. The only thing the insurance company does is force the dentist to set his rates according to their fee schedule. A dentist can't charge the patient more than the insurance company's set fee and then collect the remainder from the patient.

I am so confused about how you can say that my post is "patently false" and then agree with what I said?!?!? Yes, there are things not covered by insurance, but you have to agree to it beforehand.

 

[sookie]

I WILL NOT be going back there! I actually talked to my dentists office today when I was there. They said they do treat children and do not charge any fees like the 'behavioral management' fee. What I like about them is they actually give you a sheet (and make you sign it) of what everything will cost, before they do anything. My son (7) should be fine there. Hopefully DD will forget her last traumatic experience and will be okay. Lol

I bet she will be fine! I hope they reverse the fee.

My kids have seen both peds and family dentistry. Honestly, our peds dentists have been grouchy old men and family dentistry has been a more pleasurable experience.

In our last family practice, they saw the dentist in the practice that had a special interest in kids dentistry. She was a dream. She liked working with them and you could tell because the kids just loved her. My kids could play with the iPad when they showed up and while they were waiting for the dentist to come and do their exam after the hygienist was done cleaning their teeth. There was always something fun and interactive to do.

One time, my daughter had to have some work done (a filling) and was distracted during a procedure by getting sunglasses (the lights are bright) and getting a manicure. She also had a tiny bit of sedation, but she was still awake and giggling. It was about the cutest thing ever. You have to hold still for your manicure! It worked. Minimal sedation.

At the current practice we go to - it is family practice dentistry, but it is in a setting that is focused on children. They take anyone of any age, but when I go I am by far the oldest one there. That is a real flip! Again, they are lovely and really know how to work with the kids. They did a great job with my husband and all the work he had to have done. He has horrible teeth and I think part of it is genetic. For us, family practice dentistry has been just as knowledgeable about adult bad teeth (my husband) as they are about kid / developing teeth!

Obviously, I do believe in my kids seeing the dentist by age 1, as I had them both in there at that age. However, my reason was really just to get them to know our dentist as a friendly person who helps keep their teeth healthy. I think it's so important for children to have their parents expect that they will:

1. go to the dentist
2. have good checkups at these early visits (barring some unforeseen circumstance)
3. act appropriately

Over the years, I've met families where the parents are afraid of the dentist, and their kids are too. I don't love going there; sometimes I have a cavity. But I've always figured if we started going when they were really little, odds were in our favor that we'd have lots of pain-free visits to build up a good relationship.

OP, the above is not critique of you. Young kids sometimes get cavities, and good for you for getting your dd in there early. Can you imagine that cavity if you waited til she was 3 or 4?

OP did a good job. No it was not a critique of her. I was responding to another poster. And you are doing exactly right - getting them in before they have problems is what is important.

You can decrease fear in children by letting them learn what happens at the dentist by attending at a young age, you can have someone available to you in an emergency (like what the OP experienced - a broken tooth), get good advice regarding habits such as thumb / finger sucking or pacifiers that can change bite, and many other issues if your children have perfect teeth. But surprisingly, I have seen decay very early in some babies.

I had one patient who was probably 13 months old and only had a few teeth, but was starting to show some yellowing / decay. She did have significant tooth decay after an exam from a qualified dentist, and it was because she was a co-sleeping baby and therefore continually nursed on and off throughout the night. Who would have thought of that?! While I don't really agree with the co-sleeping (different subject, won't get into it here), we all agree that breastfeeding is very good. Would that have been on your screener? Maybe not, but it was on the dentists.

You would be surprised how early tooth decay can set in with some children. Predisposition to cavities is very true, but it is really very multifactorial - that is why you have to start out with good dental care very early on.

I am so confused about how you can say that my post is "patently false" and then agree with what I said?!?!? Yes, there are things not covered by insurance, but you have to agree to it beforehand.

Usually, those are elective things. I would think. Like the veneers.

 

[kellylfitz]

Part of accepting insurance is accepting what insurance pays and not passing the extra to the patient. If it is outside of what your insurance covers, then you have to agree to it beforehand or they are out of luck and have to write it off.

This is what is not true and I am sorry I used the phrase "patently false" which I realize is inflammatory. Your post says that the dentist has to simply accept what the insurance company is willing to pay and that is not true. It is just that the dentist won't get reimbursed if work is done outside the scope of the policy and must collect it from the patient. While it is good practice to make sure the patient knows about all costs going into a procedure (I always provided a print out of the treatment plan that included all costs based on what I thought would be required), sometimes things just don't go the way you planned. Just because something comes up that wasn't foreseen doesn't mean that the dentist has to write it off.

Like I said, I really don't want to argue, especially about dentistry on DIS, so I will keep my word which I initially broke and bow out of this thread. Good luck OP. I hope you are able to find an acceptable resolution and that this hasn't caused you too much stress.

 

[ThisIsTheYear]

It pains me to bump this thread. Lol

UPDATE: The lady in billing called back and said they dropped the fee. Lesson learned - if you bring your baby to the dentist, tell them not to cry.

 

[kirstenb1]

It pains me to bump this thread. Lol

UPDATE: The lady in billing called back and said they dropped the fee. Lesson learned - if you bring your baby to the dentist, tell them not to cry.

Thanks for the update--glad you were able to get this resolved!!

 

[ThisIsTheYear]

Thanks for the update--glad you were able to get this resolved!!

Thank you!

 

[mrsklamc]

This is what is not true and I am sorry I used the phrase "patently false" which I realize is inflammatory. Your post says that the dentist has to simply accept what the insurance company is willing to pay and that is not true. I

I know that part of being a preferred provider on my dental insurance is agreeing not to charge more than the agreed upon rate. So in my particular case, yes, "the dentist has to simply accept what the insurance company is willing to pay."

 

[luvthemouse71]

If the mom sat there and held the kiddo, then the staff has little to complain about, IMO. As far as the screaming, he's a pedi dentist. I'm sure there's lots of yelling, screaming and crying that goes on there on a daily basis.

 

[kellylfitz]

I know that part of being a preferred provider on my dental insurance is agreeing not to charge more than the agreed upon rate. So in my particular case, yes, "the dentist has to simply accept what the insurance company is willing to pay."

Thats not what I said. If the insurance doesnt cover something then the dentist can stiill get paid. Thats what I said.