Fat Old Guy Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 This has nothing to do with Scouting but I figured that I'd throw it out here anyway. My son is going through his second stage of braces and needed to have four teeth pulled. The orthodontist wrote the extraction order, we went to see an oral surgeon and in half an hour, my son had four teeth in his pocket. Now the interesting part. I'm looking at the insurance company statement. The total bill for the procedure was $870. That's $870 for less than an hour in the office. Now for the interesting part. One of the items on the statement is a "Comprehensive exam" for $65. What exam? I was there. My son sat down, the dentist looked in his mouth and said, "that one, that one, that one, and that one." That was the exam. That's no exam. I called the insurance company and asked about it. They told me that it is a standard practice to charge for an exam in a situation like that. The insuance companies sit still for rip-offs like that but they refuse to pay for replacement meds if you drop your bottle of pills into the toilet (I did it a few years ago, there went $350). (This message has been edited by Fat Old Guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 For $350 bucks, I would have rinsed them off. 7 second rule applies, right? Yes it's a rip off, but it is small potatoes for the insurance company to investigate. That's why my premiums are over $200 a month and going up 10-15% per year. And why I now have to pay ($600) for a separate non-group policy for my full-time student son who turns 22 in January, but is still living under my roof and out of my wallet. My "self and family" policy now covers 2 people instead of the original 4...but my premiums are the same. Fairness??? Forget it. BOHICA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 What the heck is a a four teeth pulled do you be meaning he had to have his fourth tooth pulled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted August 13, 2003 Author Share Posted August 13, 2003 Are you implying that my son is from West Virginia? He does have more than four teeth. Captain Petard to Enterprise. One to be hoisted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted August 13, 2003 Author Share Posted August 13, 2003 "For $350 bucks, I would have rinsed them off. 7 second rule applies, right? " Unfortunately, they started to disolve instantly. I remember the good old days when health insurance was only for hospital visits. When I was a youn'un, we go to the doctor and pay him with a chicken. Just kidding but my mother would just write a check for the $10 and we'd be done. Of course, my doctor then didn't have three nurses, a technician, office manager, bookkeeper, and x-ray tech. Now when my son is sick, a visit to the doctor can be $150 for a half hour in the waiting room and 15 minutes with the doctor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acco40 Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 Medical services is one of the few commodities that we purchase upfront without knowing the price. The main cause is insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsteele Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 I'm not much of a Trekkie, but I believe you meant "Captain Pickard to Enterprise. One to beam up." I know spelling is important, so I thought I would help. DS Now I'm no fan of dentistry, so please, continue your discussion. I'm gonna go upstairs and eat some Gummy Bears. FYI -- for several years it has been my policy to let the Dentist know that I will not authorize payment from my insurance company if I am lectured in any way by any of their personnel about coffee, flossing, or any other dental sin/requirement. I expect them to treat and not to alter behavior. I've never had to deny payment. But I am prepared to do so. DS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 "I'm not much of a Trekkie . . . I have no trouble believing that. :-) You do realize that you're responsible if the insurance company doesn't pay, don't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 NO NO If you look at a dentist charts, each tooth is numbered on the chart, so when I typed out he had to have his fourth tooth pulled, I meant the tooth numbered 4 on the chart. And what doe that have to do with my Moms home state? Beam me up Scotty there is no intellegent life down here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocubdad Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 Being a dentist nowadays must be a real bummer. They've all mostly worked themselves out of a job. With flouridated water, the whole business is on the down side of the curve. So they've all started spending their spare time taking marketing courses. Going to the dentist is like listening to an Amway salesman. "So are there any parts of your smile you're unhappy with?" What the heck is that?!?!? Last year I went in and was told I needed a full set of x-rays. "Why?" "Well you need to have x-rays every two years" "Why?" "Well they won't cost you anything." "They're free?" "No, your insurance company will pay for them every two years." "I don't have insurance, I'm paying for this myself." "Well we can finance them for your." At that point I'm getting irritated. "Look," I said, "If you can give me a good clinical reason why I need x-rays, we'll do them. But if the only justification is that 'Somebody will pay for them,' then forget it." You would think I had pooped in the middle of the waiting room. I had to sign a waiver declining the service and listen to a long lecture. It used to be that the essence of a professional relationship was that the professional had my best interest at the fore, not their own. When this guy tells me I need something done, I immediately wonder if I need the dental work or if he just has a balloon payment due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 "And what doe that have to do with my Moms home state? " Q: Do you know how you can tell the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? A: If had been invented anywhere else, it would be the teethbrush. (ba-dum-bump!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkie Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 Having worked for a dentist for 9 years, i know a little about this subject . Insurance companies are just as bad as the Drs. Did you know you can't have emergency treatment the same day as an emergency exam??? How stupid is that! FOG, why would you go to an oral surgeon for a tooth extraction? It's a simple procedure nowadays done by most general dentists. You will always pay more for work done by an oral surgeon (that could have been done by a general dentist). I have found the real rip off dentists are using nowadays are the palet spreaders they use on kids to widen their mouth to make room for teeth. What about letting the kid grow up first. It is soooo invasive, but people do it! Twocubdad, I can understand your viewpoint about the x-rays, especially without ins. However, they are used in conjuction with previous x-rays to keep track of potential cavities and fractures that can occur as teeth get older. It's more of a preventative step. Sparkie P.S. please don't critique my errors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 "FOG, why would you go to an oral surgeon for a tooth extraction? It's a simple procedure nowadays done by most general dentists. You will always pay more for work done by an oral surgeon (that could have been done by a general dentist)." That's a good question. Our dentist doesn't do extractions. I've asked other dentists that I know and they don't do extractions either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR540Beaver Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 Doocs like to specialize. It is almost like a union now. You know, you shut down the assembly line half a day because a light bulb is out and only one person in the building has a job description for changing light bulbs. My old family doctor delivered me as a baby. He mended all of my cuts and scrapes and he took my tonsils out. He did it all. General medical stuff, ob/gyn, surgery, etc. When I go to the doctor and complain about a mole...go see the dermatologist. When I complain about plumbing pressure....go see the urologist. When I complain about foot pains.....go see the podiatrist. You get the picture. I often want to ask why I bothered coming to see them in the first place. I'd cut the middle man out all together except the insurance company requires that you have a do nothing primary care physician who is the only one authorized to send you to the specialist. Something stinks and it ain't my feet. Well, maybe......but something else stinks too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 Man o steele, spelling is, indeed important. It's Captain Jean-Luc Picard. And most missed FOG's metaphor, "He was hoist on his own pitard." Pitard being a spear, and being hoist (impaled) on one's own spear denotes the ultimate in blunders. It is indeed a dying art to be able to insult with the victim remaining clueless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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