Coast Dental, San Ramon Dentist, Billing Issue, Scam, Dental Procedure, San Ramon, Coast Dental, Ripoff, Billing San Ramon California

I FIRST VISITED THIS LOCATION ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 2015 FOR A DENTAL CHECKUP.  DURING THIS CHECKUP DR. SWATI SHIRKE TOOK X-RAYS OF MY TEETH AND DETERMINED THAT I WOULD NEED ALL 4 OF MY CROWNS REPLACED AND SEVERAL CAVITIES FILLED. FOLLOWING THIS ASSESSMENT, THE DESK CLERK CAME IN THE ROOM AND PRESENTED ME WITH A BILL STATING THAT THE TOTAL COST THAT I WOULD PAY ON THAT DAY, (11/18/15) IS $416. I PAID THIS AMOUNT IN FULL AND RECEIVED A RECEIPT FROM THE BUSINESS.THE DESK CLERK THEN EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $101.70 FOR THE TWO CROWN REPLACEMENTS ON DECEMBER 10TH, I AGREED TO PAY BOTH AMOUNTS AND NOTHING MORE. BOTH COSTS COVERED CAVITIES FILLED ON THE 18TH AND THE TWO CROWN REPLACEMENTS SCHEDULTED FOR DECEMBER 10TH 2015.

WHEN I ARRIVED ON THE 10TH THE DESK CLERK ASKED ME TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $700 AND I PROMPTLY DISAGREED THAT I WOULD PAY THAT AMOUNT.  SHE THEN CAME BACK WITH A BILL FOR THE $101.70 WHICH WE HAD AGREED UPON PREVIOUSLY.  I PAID THIS AMOUNT IN FULL ON DECEMBER 19TH AND RECEIVED THE SECOND RECEIPT THAT CONFIRMED THE SERVICES AS "PAID".  I RECEIVED 2 CROWN REPLACEMENTS ON DECEMBER 10TH AND WAS SCHEDULED FOR A FOLLOW UP VISIT ON JANUARY 8TH TO PREPARE FOR 2 MORE CROWN REPLACEMENTS.  THE OFFICE CLERK EXPLAINED TO ME THAT MY DENTAL INSURANCE COVERAGE WOULD RENEW ON JANUARY FIRST AND I COULD RECIEVE THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES IN JANUARY.

AFTER THE SECOND VISIT; I DECIDED I WANTED A SECONDARY OPINION BEFORE MY THIRD VISIT SCHEDULED ON JANUARY 8TH, 2016. AFTER RECEIVING THE OUTSIDE OPINION I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NOT NEED 2 MORE CROWN REPLACEMENTS AND THAT IT WAS QUESTIONABLE IF I EVER NEEDED THE FIRST TWO CROWN REPLACEMENTS, BUT I ALREADY RECEIVED THESE PROCEDURES SO IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. AFTER RECEIVING THIS INFORMATION, I CANCELLED THE THIRD APPOINTMENT WITH COAST DENTAL OF SAN RAMON, ONE DAY IN ADVANCE.

NEXT, I RECEIVE A BILL FROM COAST DENTAL OF SAN RAMON IN FEBRUARY 2016 STATING THAT I WOULD OWE $1,687.30 BY 2/29/16.  THE BILL WAS NOT ITEMIZED SO IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHAT THE BILL WAS FOR.

AFTER RECEIVING THE BILL I CALLED COAST DENTAL OF SAN RAMON AND THE DESK CLERK PUT ME ON HOLD WHILE "SHE CHECKED ON MY ACCOUNT".  I WAS ON HOLD FOR THE NEXT 45 MINUTES SO I TRIED CALLING BACK. AFTER CALLING BACK, THE OFFICE WAS CLOSED AND IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DONE ON PURPOSE.

NEXT I CONTACTED MY DENTAL INSURANCE, CIGNA; AND THEY LOOKED INTO MY STATEMENTS AND PROCEDURES.  CIGNA STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT COVER THE $1,687 BECAUSE MY COVERAGE HAD REACHED ITS LIMIT IN 2015.  WHAT THEY FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION IS THAT THEY FALSELY BILLED ME FOR $635 IN SERVICES THAT WERE NEVER RENDERED.

I THEN WENT TO COAST DENTAL IN SAN RAMON FOLLOWING THE PHONE CALL AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP WITH ANY BILLING ISSUES. WHEN I ASKED IF THE SAME OFFICE CLERK WAS THERE THAT DAY THEY TOLD ME SHE WAS NO LONGER WITH THE COMPANY. DR. SWATI SHIRKE INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD NEED TO CALL THE 1-800-23-SMILE FOR ALL BILLING ISSUES.   THE NUMBER I WAS GIVEN, WAS FOR A TRAVEL AGENCY.

I EVENTUALLY FOUND THE CORRECT NUMBER ONLINE AND AFTER CONTINUOUSLY CALLING THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN FLORIDA 1-800-821-6400 FEB 16' - CURRENT (AUGUST) I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH. I RECIEVED ONE CALL BACK FROM A BLOCKED NUMBER AND THE LADY TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD CALL ME BACK AFTER SHE REVIEWS THE DETAILS BUT I NEVER RECEIVED A CALL BACK.  I WAS TOLD THAT ONLY ONE PERSON HANDLES CALIFORNIA BILLING ISSUES, I WAS TOLD TO CALL TRACY ZIPITA AT 714-210-0245 AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY CALLS.

I HAVE RECEIVED MONTHLY BILLS FOR $1,687.30 UNTIL THIS AUGUST, THEY CREDITED THE BILL TO ME IN THE AMOUNT OF $634, IT DOES NOT SAY WHAT THE CREDITS ARE FOR.  THE BILL SAYS THAT I STILL OWE $1,052 WHICH IS INCORRECT.  AFTER SPEAKING WITH DR. SHIRKE AT THE SAN RAMON OFFICE I LEARNED THAT THE DESK CLERK WAS ATTEMPTING TO PUSH DENTAL COSTS TO MY INSURANCE FROM 2015 INTO 2016 WHEN MY INSURANCE WAS SCHEDULED TO RENEW; SOMETHING THAT IS VERY ILLEGAL.