ComplaintsforEagle Grove Family Dentistry

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Jun 29, 2022 I had an appt for an examination with bitewing x-rays. I had an abcess in a front tooth (the main reason I was at this appt) so I was told I would be given a referral to an endodontist. Upon leaving the office I was given two appts for future dental cleaning and fillings. I was not given any information about the referral to the endodontist. I assumed it was just forgotten and tried calling them. I got no answer on the phone. Immediately following that phone call (and every phone call after) I got a txt message asking if they can help me. I stated what I needed... the name and phone number of the endodontist they were referring me to. I got no response back from them. I hopped back in my car and drove back to their office but they were closed. Over the course of the next several weeks I called countless times with no success and no response. I stopped at the office and the door was locked, lights out. I could see treatment room lights on down the hallway however. Very fishy. I posted in a local ************** if anyone knew of a dentist that accepted state insurance. Right after that I got a txt that stated that since I was going to another dentist they canceled my upcoming. appts.On July 27, 2022 I had an appt with Community Dental out of ********** ** for an exam, cleaning and bitewing x-rays. But they can't take those x-rays because my insurance only pays for them once per year. So that dental clinic has been trying to get in touch with ************************** since then with no response. All I want at this point is all my records and x-rays to go to ************************ I will come in and sign whatever papers they need. I just live up the road. But I can't do anything if I can't get in touch with them or if they discount the importance of my communication. This is really bad business. Very unprofessional.

  Business response

  08/25/2022

  This complaint has already been solved with ************************. We had tried on multiple occasions to get the requested records sent to the new office, but it turns out we had the incorrect email address for their office. Once that was discovered, we were able to send them to the correct email address. In regards to being difficult to reach, we are experiencing short-staffing issues just like a lot of businesses right now. We do not have a receptionist so we have to tend to messages before, between, and after seeing patients. We are trying our best to do it all. Also, it is not uncommon for times when our office is closed for someone to be up here, whether it is someone doing cleaning, renovating/remodeling, etc. so there are many reasons lights could be on that do not mean our office is open for patient care.

   

  Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 3/31/2022 I received a text message from Eagle Grove family Dentistry inquiring about my current address and I obliged. On 4/4/2022 I received a letter dated for 2/10/2022 that stated I owed $194.44 and the description stated Removed from account ************************* (my mother). I should have been removed from her account 4/30/2020. I later received threats from an employee via social media messaging in regards to sending me to collections stating she had sent me multiple bills and it wasnt her problem if I didnt get them I should have changed my address but she would be happy to send me to collections since I didnt respond

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  Hello,

  This is our response to complaint ID ********.

   

  When patients are originally under a parents insurance, they are part of that account. This was the scenario when we originally saw this patient. The patient was not removed from her mothers account on the date mentioned because we were still communicating back and forth with the insurance company (from when she was covered under a parents policy) to get them to pay on old claims so the patient would not end up being responsible for unnecessary charges. Then the most recent time we saw the patient, she was being seen on an emergency basis so our priority was to help get her out of pain. This is likely the reason she was not removed from her mothers account that day. So, we submitted the claim for services completed that day while she was still on her mothers account. Once an insurance claim is submitted, we cannot remove a patient from an account until the claim has been paid by insurance, but even then if we remove the patient from the account, it eliminates the ability for us to print any sort of itemized statements addressed directly to the patient. For this reason, we did not remove the patient from her mothers account immediately. Unfortunately, this meant that all future statements were sent to the address listed on her mothers account which ultimately led to them not getting to the patient. We have been experiencing staffing shortages just like the rest of the business world, so it took us some time to get around to addressing outstanding balances. In order to send the patient the ****, we had to reach out to inquire about her current address and remove her from her mothers account. This is why the **** she received simply said Removed from [Mothers] Account. Since this complaint was made, we sent the patient an itemized **** so she could see that the balance is only what the insurance company did not cover and did not include any sort of finance charges or other additional fees. The patient resorted to complaining on social media about the **** she received and a staff member reached out in an attempt to rectify the situation. By policy, this account definitely could have been turned over to collections because it is over 90 days outstanding and it is impossible for us to know when patients move and their current addresses unless they are directly updated with us, which had not been done. Both of these are reasons we reached out in the first place - not to reach this point or be informed about complaints on social media, but to give the patient an opportunity to pay her outstanding balance without having to get a collection agency involved. We are disappointed that is has come to this and wish to resolve the issue amicably.

   

  Please let us know if you need any additional information. Thank you.

   

  ***************************, DDS

   

  Eagle Grove Family Dentistry

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