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think good insurance thoughts
Feb. 22nd, 2010 09:43 amI know: this is an impossible task. But think positively, if you will, in the hope that my current dental-insurance issues will be solved quickly and painlessly.
What happened was this. I had dental insurance, and a good plan, too. And a dentist. In July of 2009, the state (my employer) canceled the dental plan I had, so I had to switch to the other one. Fortunately, my dentist takes that insurance too. I had been there in June, so the issue with the new insurance didn't come up until the next time I was due to go to the dentist, in December.
Schedules being what they are, I actually had that dental appointment in January. Brought along the new insurance card, and the girl at the desk explained that the new insurance company are real sticklers about not automatically covering care at an office other than the primary one listed on the card - and I had some other dental office listed on the card, because of the way they kind of arbitrarily assign you someone near your address, rather than asking you if you've already got a dentist you'd like to be your primary. So I'd have to pay out of pocket, which would suck. But I could call them and have them switch me to the existing dentist and it would go through on the computer and they could see me that day and everything would be fine. Fine. I call, I speak to the girl at the insurance, I explain that even though it says that office isn't accepting new patients, it's okay, because I'm not a new patient, I hand the phone to the girl at the desk, everything finally gets sorted, I'm in the computer with the new insurance, this office is my primary dental office, I go in, I have my appointment. All this was January 22.
Saturday, I get an envelope in the mail from my old dental plan, which says "important plan information" on the outside, and I don't have a plan with them, so you'd think it was something to just toss in the recycling, because okay, their computer is a little behind the times - no problem, I still get stuff from my old medical plan too. But it's a good thing I opened it, because the document inside says "explanation of dental plan reimbursement", and lists the attention I got on January 22 - cleaning, x-rays, the usual - with amount claimed (X), amount allowed (0), patient responsible (X), and a note: "The member's coverage was not in effect on the date the service was provided."
NO KIDDING.
I've spoken to someone at the office and said Hi, remember how we went through a whole thing to switch me to the new insurance? She says she's got the paperwork and sees what I'm talking about, but we need to wait until the office manager arrives and tells her what to do to fix it.
What happened was this. I had dental insurance, and a good plan, too. And a dentist. In July of 2009, the state (my employer) canceled the dental plan I had, so I had to switch to the other one. Fortunately, my dentist takes that insurance too. I had been there in June, so the issue with the new insurance didn't come up until the next time I was due to go to the dentist, in December.
Schedules being what they are, I actually had that dental appointment in January. Brought along the new insurance card, and the girl at the desk explained that the new insurance company are real sticklers about not automatically covering care at an office other than the primary one listed on the card - and I had some other dental office listed on the card, because of the way they kind of arbitrarily assign you someone near your address, rather than asking you if you've already got a dentist you'd like to be your primary. So I'd have to pay out of pocket, which would suck. But I could call them and have them switch me to the existing dentist and it would go through on the computer and they could see me that day and everything would be fine. Fine. I call, I speak to the girl at the insurance, I explain that even though it says that office isn't accepting new patients, it's okay, because I'm not a new patient, I hand the phone to the girl at the desk, everything finally gets sorted, I'm in the computer with the new insurance, this office is my primary dental office, I go in, I have my appointment. All this was January 22.
Saturday, I get an envelope in the mail from my old dental plan, which says "important plan information" on the outside, and I don't have a plan with them, so you'd think it was something to just toss in the recycling, because okay, their computer is a little behind the times - no problem, I still get stuff from my old medical plan too. But it's a good thing I opened it, because the document inside says "explanation of dental plan reimbursement", and lists the attention I got on January 22 - cleaning, x-rays, the usual - with amount claimed (X), amount allowed (0), patient responsible (X), and a note: "The member's coverage was not in effect on the date the service was provided."
NO KIDDING.
I've spoken to someone at the office and said Hi, remember how we went through a whole thing to switch me to the new insurance? She says she's got the paperwork and sees what I'm talking about, but we need to wait until the office manager arrives and tells her what to do to fix it.
