Dentist's charge for PPE

[EastWest Gal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyp If there are increased costs then they should just increase their prices accordingly. Itemizing PPE seems like passive aggression.

The problem with just increasing the price is that most of the patients have dental insurance, and they would have to renegotiate every contract with every insurance company or just eat the cost. All the dentists in the country to do this at the same time is probably not possible. It is considered an unethical practice to only charge self-pay patients a PPE surcharge. Fortunately, it appears that most dental insurance companies are paying extra for PPE, usually $7-10 from what I can see.

The OP may want to contact the dentist and complain about being overcharged for PPE. I found a webpage by the ADA which lists the increased reimbursement offered by each dental insurance company for PPE. It is kept up to date (was updated Tuesday). Just scroll to the bottom of section to find out the reimbursement rate. It seems prudent to be prepared to negotiate a reasonable fee.

Also note that dental offices have to significantly rework their practices, perhaps change the ventilation, disinfect EVERYTHING between patients, which significantly increases costs, which are not reimbursed by insurance companies.

I'm not sure why so many of us expect them NOT to pass on at least some of the costs to the patients. They must or they won't be able to stay in business.

Here is the document.

https://success.ada.org/~/media/CPS/...g_Guidance.pdf

[Chuckanut]

My dentist informed me ahead of time that there would be an extra $15 PPE charge.
I paid the $15. Or will pay it assuming the insurance company does not pay

[pacergal]

Interesting about the charge.
My prior dentist all used masks/face shield/gloves before covid, and never had a separate charge. Have not been to new dentist since all this started, so ??

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyp If there are increased costs then they should just increase their prices accordingly. Itemizing PPE seems like passive aggression.

I generally agree with this position....... except....... itemizing a special charge for PPE gear during the COVID-19 pandemic instead of just increasing the overall price for the service allows them to easily drop the charge if the time ever comes when COVID-19 related PPE gear is no longer required.

[Lawrencewendall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tb001 I would be interested in this as well. Our local forums have mentioned that many dentists are adding a ppe/COvid charge which is entirely out of pocket. I’m so torn about things like this. On the one hand, yes, they are incurring additional costs, but so are most places of business and many people have lost their jobs or had hours reduced. Most of the working population has had a significant hit to income. At some point, it’s worth asking who should absorb those additional costs. As a business owner, I can see passing along the costs, but as a customer, they’re lucky I’m coming back right now.

I couldn't find the original thread but found this. It appears they can't charge insurance but they can charge the patient. Seems to be pretty widespread also looking at the Google results.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/h...d-fe31050fcbb1

[Amethyst]

Was that back when they first starting wearing masks, etc. due to AIDS fears?

Dental services are definitely something you don't want to see deteriorate! My dentist was joking with his assistant (in that way that isn't funny to patients) that it is amazing what patients have to put up with. (He is a nice man, who does care. He gave me a few tips about Invisalign, which he said he learned not from the Invisalign company, but from going through the procedure himself).

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazz4cash Many years ago I had a dentist that charged ~$15 for "infection control". The services went downhill so I left after a couple years.

[euro]

This is only the first of many such changes we are going to see - like it or not. For example, how do you think a restaurant is going to survive with 1/2 or 1/4 of seat capacity? Well, it either raises prices or it will go out of business. All these (very necessary!) extra restrictions and regulations (PPE, etc), have to be accounted for somehow. The businesses were optimized BEFORE Covid and now, substantial extra expenses put a drag on profits or even survival. It can't all be absorbed by the businesses or by the government - some of it is going to fall back on the individual. The new normal is not like the old normal. We'll have to get used to it. Personally, I'd rather pay an extra charge and have people take protection seriously.

BTW: I can absolutely guarantee that the extra $23 does not even come close to paying for that dentist's economic cost/loss.

[MBAustin]

Our dentist charged $25 extra for PPE for our cleanings recently. They previously wore masks and gloves (and eye protection for certain procedures) but are now also wearing disposable gowns and N95 masks (with surgical masks on top of them) and face shields for some procedures. I talked with him a bit and am convinced as mentioned above that this isn't close to the real costs of COVID.

[FIREd]

My hairdresser increased his prices to cover the extra cost for PPE and disposable capes. It's a real cost and somebody gotta pay for it somehow. I'm sure that my dentist too will pass the extra cost along, as will a large number of other businesses.

[ransil]

My dentist charged $35 just got the insurance bill its listed as unspecified preventive procedure

[HtownRose]

My dentist shut down before my cleaning appointment so I am overdue. When they started rescheduling they were only offering last minute appointments - a day or 2 or less - & I prefer more notice - I find if I am especially diligent about flossing / water-pikking a couple weeks prior there is a lot less blood & discomfort - I know, my bad to not do this all the time.

They disclosed an additional fee that they said would not be covered by insurance for PPE - don't recall exact amount but around $20. So I sent a request to my insurance navigator for nearby dentists on my plan with availability that (a) use dental hygienists rather than dental assistants for cleanings & (b) don't charge any PPE fees & there were 2 that sounded good & 1 that I was able to easily make an appointment with for July 1. I'll see how it goes - may or may not return to my old dentist for the next cleaning.

The navigator was free when I was on the HSA plan & is $2 per month on the "Cadillac" plan that I am on this year & IMO it is well worth it to get assistance like this - for dental & vision as well as health insurance issues, claim review, FSA handling & more.

[gerntz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by O2Bfree I've had to see my dentist twice in the past couple weeks, and each time he added a $23 charge for PPE. That seemed a little much. Maybe he needs to make up for lost income but dang, $23 each time?! Has anyone else been to their dentist or any other health provider lately and got hit with a PPE charge?

Was I the dentist, I just jack up my overall fee schedule. Itemizing is too easy to complain about.

[O2Bfree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz Was I the dentist, I just jack up my overall fee schedule. Itemizing is too easy to complain about.

Right, let them find the umbrella then!

[Bamaman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrvlBug DH had implant a few weeks ago. His oral surgeon required a covid test prior to surgery and charged additional $50 for covid related expenses. PPE was in the hazmat type category and they also made upgrades to their ventilation system and other stuff. As we are in the high risk category, we appreciated these changes and had no problem paying the additional $s. Our dentist is still closed so don't know what they plan on doing.

Our oral surgeon removed a tooth that broke off at the gum--$875. The implant--$2250. The abutment--$850. A crown--$850. Total price of one new tooth--$4825.

I found a dentist out of town that did implants.

The implant other than numbing me up took 6 minutes plus time to take an electronic x-ray. The abutment is just screwing a tiny pole in--10 minutes top.

I'm sorry but anyone that charges as much as oral surgeons can eat that fee. Their charges are truly excessive for the services rendered anyway.

I got the implant done, including x-rays--for $1,000.

[Scratchy]

I'd wouldn't let a PPE fee get between me and a good dentist.

[cathy63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz Was I the dentist, I just jack up my overall fee schedule. Itemizing is too easy to complain about.

That won't help any dentist who accepts insurance. If insurance company X has decided that it pays $163 for cleanings, then that's what the dentist gets for doing that work. He can't just charge more because his costs have gone up. If he needs to get more money, then he has to itemize and bill the patient directly for the non-covered services.

[gauss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathy63 That won't help any dentist who accepts insurance. If insurance company X has decided that it pays $163 for cleanings, then that's what the dentist gets for doing that work. He can't just charge more because his costs have gone up. If he needs to get more money, then he has to itemize and bill the patient directly for the non-covered services.

+!

Exactly - what's next a high-rent surcharge? etc etc.
They need to charge for services rendered, not their costs.

What I am not sure about, is if the Dental Insurance companies view this as a violation and are willing to enforce their rules if it is.

-gauss

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREd My hairdresser increased his prices to cover the extra cost for PPE and disposable capes. It's a real cost and somebody gotta pay for it somehow. I'm sure that my dentist too will pass the extra cost along, as will a large number of other businesses.

+1

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathy63 That won't help any dentist who accepts insurance. If insurance company X has decided that it pays $163 for cleanings, then that's what the dentist gets for doing that work. He can't just charge more because his costs have gone up. If he needs to get more money, then he has to itemize and bill the patient directly for the non-covered services.

+1


Could not have said it better. Until the insurance rates catch-up, I'm squarely on the side of the business owner to maintain profit margin. Especially after, I presume, many people have skipped cleanings.

[6miths]

All around here we have signs that say, 'We Love our Frontline Workers' but the sentiment here seems to add, 'Unless They Try to Pass on the Costs of Protecting Themselves'. There are many more expenses than you might appreciate with COVID. Decreased patient volumes (due to fear as well as cleaning time between patients), extra cleaning of equipment and office space, N95 and other masks, gowns, additional gloving and more gloves, hand sanitizer, physical space alterations (all that plexi didn't magically materialize and install itself), etc, etc. Dentistry deals with the business end of getting COVID, multiple close exposures per day and procedures that actually generate aerosols increasing risk. If I were in the dental profession I would be a bit unsettled by the mixed messages but yes if the cost is too much to bear then find a new dentist. All the expenses don't stop and around here the dental offices are gorgeous and equipment state of the art.