I may have just been an SC at my dentist's office...

[tollbaby]

I took my son to get a filling. Now I haven't lived in Quebec very long, so I'm not really used to how they do things here. All I know is that when I signed up for a health card (provincial health insurance), they told me that children under the age of 10 were entitled to free dental care. GREAT! My kids are 6 and 8. So we had an extraction done (baby tooth that was being stubborn and in turn, was causing the other teeth to grow in crooked around it). No charge for that. A month later, I took my son in for a cleaning and was charged $60. I questioned the charge and they said that because it was preventative, I had to pay.

This lead me to believe that preventative maintenance wasn't covered, but that repair WAS. So today I took him in to get a filling. $212!!!!! That was WAYYYY more than I had available (I just got paid, but I paid some bills, repaid my ex-husband some money I had borrowed, and paid part of my rent, so I was left with just enough for a few groceries). I said "why isn't this covered under the provincial insurance?" This is where the kicker comes in. On my THIRD visit to this dentist's office, the receptionist FINALLY reveals to me,

"Oh, we don't accept provincial health insurance. We take cash, debit, credit, or you can submit to your private insurance." WHAT???? How can you not TAKE the provincial health insurance????? Apparently, medical and dental professionals in the province of Quebec are entitled to opt OUT of the provincial health coverage scheme. But they DON'T have to tell you up-front about it! I do NOT make that kind of money, lady, and I can't afford $212 a shot for fillings, nor can I afford to take my daughter to have her teeth cleaned now. I had two other appointments to have fillings done (he needed 3), and had to cancel them.

So I said to her, "Do you think, maybe, that's something you should mention to your patients the FIRST time they come in? I don't have that kind of money, and I have no idea how I'm going to pay you." So as she's telling me that they can arrange for me to come in tomorrow or later this week, I'm totally tearing up and freaking out. I paid about half, and got out of there as quickly as I could.

But am I wrong? Should they not be entirely up-front about that sort of thing? I'm so frigging steamed and embarassed right now that I just want to hide. I need to go back tomorrow to pay the remainder too. My dilemma is that this is a fantastic dentist who is very gentle and good with kids. This subterfuge about the insurance worries me though. I mean, it's not a huge problem... my ex-husband has private insurance that covers the children, but it worries me that they hide this stuff. Was I sucky?

[Nekojin]

But am I wrong? Should they not be entirely up-front about that sort of thing?

Yes, they should be entirely up-front about this. They know what their rules are, you don't. It's irrational for them to expect new customers to just know what they can or can't use.

It should be asked by the customer on the first visit, ideally. But again, it's a case of, "How should you know to ask, if you don't know there's a potential problem to ask about?"

[Sliceanddice]

yeah sounds like somethign you should know up front, makes me happy in america when you have government coverage (if you do under 18 in this state all, ALL dential is covered in certian offices and they tell which it is...) but im not canadian...

[Kara]

You weren't sucky at all. That's a really shady way to run things, and they should be required to tell you up front if they don't accept your insurance. I'd have gone nuclear.

[wagegoth]

You weren't an SC at all. Frankly, if you had gotten a little rude or even loud, I would have backed you up.

I was sent to a specialist for a root canal, which set me back a chunk even with insurance, when the receptionist tells me, very matter-of-factly, that I have to schedule for some gum removal to be done around the tooth that was just worked on, and my charge would be $700, not covered by insurance, and how did I want to pay for that?

Huh, wha??? I asked her why I was just told this. She told me that the root canal was deep and they needed to remove some tissue to create a better seat for the crown. Uh, no, I don't have that kind of money. And the dentist must have known before he did the work approximately how extensive the root canal and drilling were going to be. *I worked as a dental assistant. That's what x-rays are for.*

I never scheduled the appointment, and my regular dentist was able to seat the crown without a problem.

BTW, since the introduction of fluoride in water, many dentists are having to come up with new ways to make money, so they often push unnecessary work, especially things that won't be covered by insurance.

[Catwoman2965]

I agree, and being that you are new to Quebec, it isn't something that you would have thought to ask. They definitely should have let you know whether or not they accepted what you have - and shouldn't have assumed you'd be in position to pay.

My health and dental insurance, while very good, is not accepted by ANY of my health care providers. So i ususaly end up paying up front (plastic) and submitting for reimbursement, hoping that I get it back before I have to pay the bill.

[Bright_Star]

Why in the world would they hide that bit of information? That sounds like they're trying to pull a fast one.

[scruff]

BTW, since the introduction of fluoride in water, many dentists are having to come up with new ways to make money, so they often push unnecessary work, especially things that won't be covered by insurance.

Hah.
Here in England, kids get'free' dental and specs, and dentists and optitions (sp) just charge the Gov.
Back in school, my dentist hit me with a filling, it fell out in the car home.
Next checkup, six months later, he didn't notice the tooth needed a filling...
20 years later, new dentist ain't noticed either..

[auntiem]

Everytime I've been to any kind of doctor - the type of insurance and our # is on the inital paperwork you fill out. For example, doctors here can opt out of providing for medicare patients - unless they were patients before they went on medicare.
When I went to fix my broken leg there were also huge signs everywhere that you are responible to make sure you had the referal from your insurance company to even get an appointment to see the doctor.
So, yeah - I would have lost it completly on them.

[Javakat]

So, they didn't charge you for the first procedure, then start charging you once you and your children are comfortable with the dentist? That sounds a bit fishy, like they wanted you to have work done, expecting it to be covered like the first, just so they could charge you for it.

[sbandliz]

I do feel for you. With the cost of specialists and medicine, sometimes it is very hard to cover everything they spring on us these days. I am just thankful that our insurance cover hospital stays for children without charging a gap fee - my son is booked into another hospital stay next week, his 4th within the last 12 months!

[Anakah]

When you first made your appointment did you ask if they took your insurance? Either way it does sound really crappy that they wouldn't say anything. When you signed up with that insurance did they tell you which dentists accepted your insurance? Maybe you can dispute the charge with your insurance it doesn't sound right.

Actually sadly $212 isn't that good but a little better than mine. Mine is going to cost $300. I can't afford it... I don't understand dental "insurance" anyway, whats the point if they only cover a little bit? Its more of a discount card then anything else. It's annoying.

[air914]

My brother had this problem w/ a sports medicine specialist or chiropractor - can't remember which one.... but they didn't tell him until his third visit that they didn't take his insurance. I think he said something along the lines of "I'm a student.... with no job.... good luck getting the money - you should've told me you didn't take my insurance on the first visit - or at LEAST before the second visit".

I've been going to an allergist and they didn't even tell me until about my 3rd visit that you have to have a little plastic card issued to you to sign in with. Another "customer/patient" had to tell me. What on earth?? I went in for THEIR stupid evaluation even though I'd already had testing done somewhere else and ANOTHER office was making up my allergy vials for my shots... but no THEy had to evaluate me too. They've been pretty sucky the entire time - but they're the only office close to me that's open after 5:00 when i get off work.....

[yomiko]

It's odd that the first visit was covered and the others not. I'm in Quebec and I've gotten notice from existing doctors when they decided to go off of the provincial health plan warning me that they're no longer accepting this. Did they send you any such notice? Also did they tell you how long this has been the case (don't outright say that they didn't bill you for the first visit. You don't need them to throw another bill into the mix).

Also, I don't think you have to pay it all in two days. Did they offer any other form of installment payment plan?

[Becks]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo glad my dental insurance pays everying. I don't even have to do a co-pay.

I'm still pleasantly surprised about that.