I live in Nashville TN. I went to the dentist and had work done on my dentures.
They did not tell me that the work wouldn't be covered by my insurance, then handed me a bill before I walked out the door.
Legally do I have to pay the bill?
Also this was not mentioned in the treatment plan when I started going to them around this time last year.
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How is the dentist even supposed to know that you have an insurance? Your insurance and what it covers is your business and none of his.– GreendrakeCommented Nov 21, 2023 at 1:03
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Seriously - why is this tagged as "human-rights"?– mikemCommented Nov 21, 2023 at 8:24
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every dentist I've gone to in the past 15 year has me sign a paper saying how much I will pay before they start wok. A dentist that doesn't do this is scamming you.– Tiger GuyCommented Nov 21, 2023 at 13:50
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1@Greendrake In the US, the dentist will ask for your insurance details and take a copy of your insurance card. If the dentist is in-network for your insurance, they are generally required to file the claim, receive applicable payment direct from the insurer, and their charges must conform to the insurer's negotiated rates. If the dentist is out-of-network, they will generally file the claim as a courtesy, they may either be paid direct or charge the whole amount to the patient and the insurer reimburses the patient.– user71659Commented Nov 21, 2023 at 22:47
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1 Answer
You are responsible for the charges. Dentists, doctors, etc. will file the charges with your insurance for you, but the insurance company decides what they will pay. The dentist would have no idea in advance what your insurance will cover or not, unless you asked him to do a pre-authorization or coverage verification of some sort. It's not his job to do it, but many will do it as a courtesy.
The dentist did work for you. No different that any other service provider. You owe for the work they did. If your insurance didn't cover it, that's between you and your insurance company, not the dentist.
