ComplaintsforMeridian Campus Family Dental

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  05/03/2024 - Back in November/2023, I booked an appt with Meridian Dental for cleaning on 05/03/2024. On 05/03/2024, I went for my cleaning appointment, the receptionist checked me in; I saw a hygienist for cleaning like I normally do. The hygienist took me to the front desk and the receptionist checked my appt out. Since I am established patient for about 1 1/2hr and I never had an issue with the clinic, we made a future appt and was informed that I did not owe anything. I received a bill on 05/29/2024 showing that I owe $ *****. On the bill, it showed that my insurance Tricare- United Concordia paid it partially. I called my insurance thinking it probably was a mistake. I was informed that Meridian Dental does not take United Concordia or has been non-network provider since Oct/2023. This dental clinic failed to verify my insurance prior to the cleaning and failed to disclose that they no longer accept my insurance. 'Lack of Transparency and disclosure.

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Dear BBB Representative,
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by our patient regarding their visit on May 3, 2024.
  At Meridian Dental, we prioritize the quality of care and transparency in all our interactions. We regret that the patient feels dissatisfied with their recent experience.
  Regarding the specific points raised:
  Insurance Verification and Network Status:
  It is the responsibility of our patients to be aware of their insurance coverage and network status. Meridian Dental transitioned to an out-of-network provider with Tricare United Concordia in October 2023. This change was communicated through multiple channels, including emails and in-office notifications.
  We make every effort to assist our patients in understanding their insurance benefits. However, it remains the patient's responsibility to confirm their coverage details prior to receiving services.
  Billing and Charges:
  The bill issued on May 29, 2024, for $80.02 accurately reflects the portion not covered by the patient's insurance due to our out-of-network status. We provided the necessary services in good faith, and the charges are consistent with our billing policies.
  While we regret any inconvenience caused, the obligation to settle this balance aligns with the patient's acceptance of services from an out-of-network provider.
  We understand the importance of clear communication and will continue to improve our processes to better inform our patients of their insurance obligations.
  We hope this explanation clarifies the situation. Should the patient have any further questions or require additional assistance, we are more than willing to help.
  Thank you for your understanding.
  Sincerely,

  Dr Carpenter

  Customer response

  05/31/2024

   
  Complaint: 21781886
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  As Dr. ********************** mentioned, the clinic attempted to information me. I would like to see copies of the emails sent to me; also, text messages that includes or showed a heads-up that I was aware that Meridian Dental did not accept my insurance. 
  I agree it is my responsibility to check insurances; however, the receptionist, who is also insurance specialist, at LEAST at check out point, should had told me that I had a balance - I asked like I normally do and I was informed: no, you are all taken care of.. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* Del *****

  Customer response

  05/31/2024

  ***********************************************

  i added a pic from the website - hope you can open..

  even the Dental Clinic website page does not list insurances they take. Patients need to call to see if they accept our insurance or not. How are we supposed to know that they are accepting our insurance? They advertise that they server military family, which I am a DOD employee and a military spouse.. 

   

  if they had told me at the end of my appointment that they did not take my insurance, then it would be up to me to continue with them or not. Besides, this appointment was booked last year.. no one bothered to check my insurance or even verify if anything changed since Nov/2023 - also, no posts in the clinic shows that they do not take tricare - United Concordia  

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of Service: 6/24/2022 Was to place 2 fillings on my upper Right 2 back molars.The charge was $225.20, which I had paid through Care Credit (Credit Card). The cost seems to be a little bit higher than the charges for previous dental work from previous providers. After I received the tooth information, the code, and what was charged on my 2 teeth, I decided to call GEHA, a dental insurance company, to see what is covered.Per the representative the procedure cost for ***** Fillings: 1. Tooth- 2-Mo D2392 Cost $238 80% of $238, Insurance will pay $190.40 2. Tooth-3-Mo D2393 Cost $296 80% of $296, Insurance will pay $236.80 ********************* pays $ ****** in total.According to the breakdown provided by the Dental office, it's as follows:Cost: $678.Due to the contract with the insurance, there is a 144-dollar discount.Based on their calculations, they estimated an insurance payment of: -$308.80 The patient portion of the payment is estimated at $225.20.The breakdown of the payment is wrong, and I have been overcharged. According to GEHA's claims department representative, the insurance coverage is $******, not the estimated $308.80. Please refer to the breakdown below of what should have been calculated and charged.Total fee: $678 Discount: -$144 The payment estimate from an insurance coverage is -$****** The total patient portion: $106.80, I paid $225.20 After contacting the Dental Office, I spoke with ********, the unprofessional insurance coordinator who could not adequately explain the breakdown of charges. In short, she said well you will get a refund back if they get the payment from my insurance company and if the amount is over then I would get a refund back with an attitude but I want to make sure I get my money back less the $106.80 from the $225.20 I paid. I would like my money back because I was overcharged $118.40. I have attached supporting documentation.

  Business response

  07/12/2022

  We do our best to let our patients know that when we give them an estimate of cost of procedures that it is just that an estimate.  We have many patients with many types of insurances that pay differing amounts.  We do our best to be as accurate as possible, sometimes insurance pays more than we anticipate and sometimes it pays less.  *************** pays which can sometimes take months, we rectify it in our patients account and either refund the money or send a **** for the remaining balance.  As this was only weeks ago we have not received payments from them so we have not rectified the account yet.  Please be patient and if insurance does indeed pay what they said they would pay you will be given your refund promptly.   

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of Transaction: 3/22/2022 Amount Paid: ******** using Care Credit ************************ was for Invisalign treatment for my son ******************************* who is the patient receiving treatment. I had contacted GEHA (Family Dental ******************* regarding information about my son's benefits with Invisalign. Dental Insurance states that Invisalign is not covered because it is considered a cosmetic preference. However; the representative stated that my dental office submitted charges for Malocclusion treatment which I and my son were never discussed with Joshua C. Carpenter DMD. Malocclusion was never a discussion after a full cleaning visit and examination. All we were told was that his teeth look great overall no cavities but he can be a good candidate for Invisalign to straighten his teeth. Once we checked out that day we met with ******** who is the all-around person insurance coordinator/office manager/scheduler. ******** stated that my Dental Insurance covers Invisalign and gave me a handwritten breakdown as well as cost and etc. So I agreed to proceed with getting the Invisalign for my son. I did contact the office and spoke with ******** but she was not professional about the whole situation. I questioned why the dental health insurance has a claim for a different treatment which is for malocclusion of the amount of $6,243.00. When ******** told me that Invisalign was covered. This didn't go well I wanted a full refund back. GEHA stated that the submitted claim was on hold because they needed further information from the dental office. They sent 2 letters stating they needed X-rays and further information which I have a copy of. The dental office did not respond. I believe this Dental office is bad business and is trying to collect money for charges that were not discussed specifically. We were never told about my son having a case of malocclusion and the charges for it. Bad communication and bad business practices.

  Business response

  07/12/2022

  This instance is a misinterpretation of the situation.  Invisalign can be used for many different things it is not only used for cosmetic procedures.  We have many patients with insurance similar to yours that pay for Invisalign.  Malocclusion is another name for crooked teeth.   It means that the teeth don't work together as they should because they are either too crowded in the arch or there is too much space.  Insurance companies only get dental codes and one dental code can mean many things so when speaking to them they have no idea the treatment that is being performed.  All the documentation was sent to the insurance company several times but this is a tactic that they use to delay payments.    

*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. ↩