What is the name of your state? Alabama
I have been having major issues with the doctor that removed my wisdom teeth! When I had my consultation back in October I was told that when I came in for the procedure that I would owe them $375 that would be due that day. So when I came in I gave them a check for that amount. Now, 3 months later, I receive a call this past Thursday from his secretary. She told me I owed them $444! When I mentioned that she had told me it would be $375 and I paid that, she said that was just an estimate. How can an estimate be off by $444!? So I pressed the issue, and she claimed that it was wrong because my insurance company told her that my maximum benefits were $1000 when they are actually only $750. So I called Blue Cross Blue Shield, and they told me that if maximum benefits had been told to her, it would have been documented. I called back and talked to the secretary again, and she argued with me and said she had talked to "Julie" at BCBS on their provider side and she was the one who told her that. I called BACK to BCBS and talked someone else this time, and she checked with her supervisor, checked the screen "Julie" would have seen and said that mistake would not have been made, but that she would pull the recorded call for me, which she did. She called me back Tuesday and let me know that nothing even related to my maximum benefits were mentioned in the course of the conversation. So I talked to the secretary from the Dentist's office again today and I let her know what BCBS said about the recorded conversation and her story changed AGAIN! She said that ACTUALLY "Julie" transferred her back to the VRU which because my card number was old they gave her the wrong information. So I asked how the difference between $1000 and $750 equalled $444 - in my experience that is only $250... her explanation for THIS is that she ASSUMED that I was PPO which I am not, and the card does not indicate that I even might be... but she assumed I was and that if I had been then the Doctor would have dropped any charges that BCBS did not cover, due to some contract he has with them. So at this point, because they ASSUMED wrong, I am being penalized $444!!!! I don't have any idea what to do, but I refuse to pay another $444 dollars when I was told to begin with and the day of the surgery I only owed $375! What are my rights relating to this issue?
I have been having major issues with the doctor that removed my wisdom teeth! When I had my consultation back in October I was told that when I came in for the procedure that I would owe them $375 that would be due that day. So when I came in I gave them a check for that amount. Now, 3 months later, I receive a call this past Thursday from his secretary. She told me I owed them $444! When I mentioned that she had told me it would be $375 and I paid that, she said that was just an estimate. How can an estimate be off by $444!? So I pressed the issue, and she claimed that it was wrong because my insurance company told her that my maximum benefits were $1000 when they are actually only $750. So I called Blue Cross Blue Shield, and they told me that if maximum benefits had been told to her, it would have been documented. I called back and talked to the secretary again, and she argued with me and said she had talked to "Julie" at BCBS on their provider side and she was the one who told her that. I called BACK to BCBS and talked someone else this time, and she checked with her supervisor, checked the screen "Julie" would have seen and said that mistake would not have been made, but that she would pull the recorded call for me, which she did. She called me back Tuesday and let me know that nothing even related to my maximum benefits were mentioned in the course of the conversation. So I talked to the secretary from the Dentist's office again today and I let her know what BCBS said about the recorded conversation and her story changed AGAIN! She said that ACTUALLY "Julie" transferred her back to the VRU which because my card number was old they gave her the wrong information. So I asked how the difference between $1000 and $750 equalled $444 - in my experience that is only $250... her explanation for THIS is that she ASSUMED that I was PPO which I am not, and the card does not indicate that I even might be... but she assumed I was and that if I had been then the Doctor would have dropped any charges that BCBS did not cover, due to some contract he has with them. So at this point, because they ASSUMED wrong, I am being penalized $444!!!! I don't have any idea what to do, but I refuse to pay another $444 dollars when I was told to begin with and the day of the surgery I only owed $375! What are my rights relating to this issue?