!st Choice Dental Gropup Didn't accept attempts at payment of dental bill & differnt charges to a minority female for a similar dental proceedure as mine(root canal) Madison Wisconsin

I was a patient at 1st Choice Dental Group for over 5 years.  I found out recently, that the wife of a current co- worker, (They are both Hispanic,I am White) was told that she had to come up with $2,000 "up-front"  BEFORE they would even  touch her, for a root canal.  I've had at least 2  done by them , so I know from a fine, filne article, in a back issue of Consumer Reports, that the price they quoted her, was nearly 3 tilmes what it should have been. 

Her husband, who reported 1st Choice Dental Gropup's atrocious demand to me,just last week, found another dentist, who did her root canal proceedure, for just over $700, the low-end range, as reported by  Consumer Reports.

Secondly, I've attempted to work out a payment plan with 1st Choice Dental Group, only to receive my payment check back in a nasty letter from Angela Faulks,  Collection Group Supervisor, from their Sun Praire , WI office thls past November, 2014.( i HAD PREVIOUSLY SENT THEM A CHECK FOR $150.00)  She told me they would be turning me over to Paskin and Oberweller, a debt collection law firm in Madison.  I didn't hear from Paskin and Oberweller, until this past Saturday, May 9th, 2015.

I am prepared to pay this debt in full, as I just  passed a competition at work, "The Badger Challenge", and received $500 d0llars in cash. I will be speaking to the debt collector, this week, and should be able to pay them before June 1st, 2015. I have 30 days to dispute  1st Choice Dental Group's  bill. The debt collectors have also added on $41 dollars in interest, in the matter of the bilL, dated Jan 24th, 2014, the last date I reaceived dental services from 1st Choice Dental Group.

Thirdly, I received  what I call "the Dear John" type of letter, from their dentist, Joe Sharkus, DDS,only a few days before the letter from the debt collectors, about how the relationship between patient and doctor is "a special one". The letter was sent from their Verona , WI office.  (They have several locations in the Dane County area).

My take on all this, was to wait to see what my former dental insurer, Delta Dental, would pay towards all bills from  1st Choice Dental Group, to avoid experiencing being "Double-billed" for services rendered. Under the COBRA  laws, I paid Delta Dental for dental insurance coverage for 18 months, after leaving my former employer.I was told by an English woman, named Lesllie, who worked for 1st choice Dental,, that if there was  such an error, that it would be applied as a credit, toward my next visit(s). Their  files of my dental records should reflect this, as it happened more than once,during the time I used their dental services.

Thank-You!!

Sincerely,

Mary E. Suess