First They Hook You…Then They Reel You In

I took my youngest son to the dentist the other day. It was the first time both for my son seeing a dentist and for my family using this particular office. I had heard of this practice many times over the last few years because in the town that I live in, it is infamous. They have designed the office as a rocket ship. The waiting room is a lounge with touch screen video games (with games ranging from matching colors to video poker), PlayStations, toys, and books. When it is your childs turn to see the dentist, you enter the exam room through a sliding Star Trek-type door and suddenly you are inside the rocket. All the windows are rounded porthole style windows and there is a lot of mirror and metal around. Each exam chair is set up with a television hanging down from the ceiling and wireless headphones so your kid can lay back and watch the TV. There is also an area here for siblings to come play games, making it easier on Mom by not having decide which kid she needs to stay with – the one in the waiting room or the one in the office. After all is said and done, each kid gets to choose a toy and is given an inflatable rocket.

The dentist who saw my son was very nice, as were his assistants, and by the time that my son was ready to check out, I was feeling very pleased, thrilled that we were patients here, and looking forward to my daughters appointment in a couple of weeks. Even the bad news that my son would have to have an extraction and, because he is only two, would need to go under general anesthesia, was sitting well with me because I had a sense of confidence in this office. As the assistant took my son (and daughter who insisted on staying with her brother to make sure he was okay) to weigh him, the smiling lady hit me with the big news. My sons procedure would be covered but I needed to come up with $1000.00 prior to it to pay the anesthesiologist. That would cover his estimated charges (though I may still owe more afterwards).

What? Apparently their anesthesiologist does not accept the same insurances that they do. And, the lady added (still smiling, of course) she does not think that there is one in my entire county that is covered. I am instructed to call when I have the money.

At home later, I am a little upset after this and after a quick phone call to my medical insurance company, I find out that they will pay for it. So I place a call back to the dentist office just to be told that’s great news – they will be sure to give me a copy of the receipt so I can submit it for reimbursement. Frustrated, I ask them why they can not simply bill the insurance directly and am told that there are other practices in the area that are covered completely. One more time – What? Didn’t they tell me earlier that there was no one in the county covered? Realizing now that they are just trying to get the most money possible since I am sure that my cost personally are much higher than an insurance companies negotiated rate, I decide to find someone else.

I guess they need to make sure they can pay the note on that fancy rocket of theirs.