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report scam| Country | India |
| State | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| City | Tampa |
| Address | 4010 W. Boy Scout Blvd. Suite 1100 |
| Phone | (800) 327-6453 |
| Website | https://www.coastdental.com |
Coast Dental & Orthodontics Reviews
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.
Coast Dental is a rip-off from the get-go. They over-diagnosis and then tell you you have to have special cleanings that may or may not be covered by insurance. In my case it was not.
They required that I submit to additional X-rays even though I had brought X-rays from a prior dentist that were one year old.
After reading reports from others as to how much they were taken for' I feel very fortunate that I became suspicious early on and refused to accept their diagnosis of periodontal disease. I actually lost a few dollars, but now I have fodder for a complaint to my insurance company and their sub-contractors.