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06-17-2020, 04:58 PM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett
Posts: 1,592
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Dentist's charge for PPE
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?
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06-17-2020, 05:02 PM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 2,050
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If they charge for that I will look for a new dentist. Don't much like current one anyway. He replaced my (wonderful) retired dentist.
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06-17-2020, 05:09 PM
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#3
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Bangkok
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by badatmath
If they charge for that I will look for a new dentist.
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I would not pay. PPE is a required part of his job.
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06-17-2020, 05:10 PM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Conroe, Texas
Posts: 18,642
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I went to my dentist two weeks ago and no charge for PPE was included. Time to look for a new dentist.
__________________
*********Go Astros!*********
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06-17-2020, 05:21 PM
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#5
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,468
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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.
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06-17-2020, 05:27 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett
Posts: 1,592
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Quote:
Originally Posted by badatmath
If they charge for that I will look for a new dentist. Don't much like current one anyway. He replaced my (wonderful) retired dentist.
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That happened to me as well. The new guy is super nice and seems competent, coming from a family where dad and all three sons are dentists. But I think he charges too much.
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06-17-2020, 05:32 PM
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#7
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Severn
Posts: 947
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Saw on another site that it violates insurance rules to charge for PPE. Can try to locate it if needed.
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06-17-2020, 05:37 PM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett
Posts: 1,592
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawrencewendall
Saw on another site that it violates insurance rules to charge for PPE. Can try to locate it if needed.
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Interesting, though I don't have insurance. I did read something on a dentistry ethics site about it being unethical for dentists to change uninsured patients, but not those with insurance. Wish I'd read that before my appointments.
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06-17-2020, 06:04 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,414
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I would question that charge and not paid that PPE charge.
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06-17-2020, 06:23 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett
Posts: 1,592
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Quote:
Originally Posted by street
I would question that charge and not paid that PPE charge.
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Shoulda, yeah...I'm really a wimp sometimes.
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06-17-2020, 06:26 PM
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#11
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: mpls, mn
Posts: 763
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I can verify that the costs for PPE have increased substantially. We are using N95 masks which cost 10x what the masks that we wore before covid 19, if we can even get them. plus we are wearing face shields which we were not using before. we are not seeing as many patients as before due to the precautions, no patients in the waiting area. they wait in their car and we call them when we are ready for them. the extra cost is justified. the dentist is not just trying to make more money. if anything they are making less.
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06-17-2020, 11:19 PM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,110
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawrencewendall
Saw on another site that it violates insurance rules to charge for PPE. Can try to locate it if needed.
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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.
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06-17-2020, 11:29 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Laurel, MD
Posts: 8,309
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawrencewendall
Saw on another site that it violates insurance rules to charge for PPE. Can try to locate it if needed.
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Many years ago I had a dentist that charged ~$15 for "infection control". I noticed the charge was not submitted to dental insurance and there were some other hinky practices that I considered to be borderline fraud. They offered a hefty discount for cash but payment by check was not eligible for the discount.
The services went downhill so I left after a couple years.
__________________
...with no reasonable expectation for ER, I'm just here auditing the AP class.Retired 8/1/15.
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06-17-2020, 11:52 PM
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#14
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 2,050
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I might be tempted to report him to my dental insurer they probably have limits on how they can price things and still be a preferred provider. I am not due right now so prefer not to think too hard about it.
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06-18-2020, 03:03 AM
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#15
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Thailand countryside, Sisaket province
Posts: 1,331
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If there are increased costs then they should just increase their prices accordingly. Itemizing PPE seems like passive aggression.
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Happy, Wild, and Free
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06-18-2020, 04:57 AM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tampa
Posts: 11,226
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I have a rescheduled dentist visit in late July.
Due to this thread, I will call them up ahead of time asking if there are extra PPE charges.
__________________
TGIM
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06-18-2020, 05:48 AM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,200
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tb001
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.
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Any business that has added costs will pass them on to customers if they can, that’s nothing surprising or new. We ALL ‘vote with our dollars/feet’ when/if it’s important to us.
I’m guessing most customers won’t change dentists over $23/visit if they otherwise like the dentist. I wouldn’t. YMMV
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Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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06-18-2020, 06:13 AM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,464
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mn54
I can verify that the costs for PPE have increased substantially. We are using N95 masks which cost 10x what the masks that we wore before covid 19, if we can even get them. plus we are wearing face shields which we were not using before. we are not seeing as many patients as before due to the precautions, no patients in the waiting area. they wait in their car and we call them when we are ready for them. the extra cost is justified. the dentist is not just trying to make more money. if anything they are making less.
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Our New Mexico dentist just opened for non emergency care, so Ms G and I had a good cleaning. We experienced what you wrote, with the exception that my hygienist has been using a mask and shield for years now.
We are on a prepay plan, so my dentist must be absorbing any extra expense.
__________________
For me experiences are not good or bad, just different
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06-18-2020, 06:15 AM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,067
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I would vote no with my dollars and find a new dentist.
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Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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06-18-2020, 06:36 AM
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#20
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,428
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My dentist is using other non-covered terms like "lab charge". The major difference is that, in the past, he sent the entire bill to the insurance and, sometimes, the insurances said that a charge, usually coded D9999 on the bill, was not covered and said they didn't pay and I couldn't be billed for it. Now the dentist is billing me for D9999 without reporting it on the insurance copy of the bill so they can avoid the footnote saying that I don't owe it. It works, I guess, since my husband and I have just decided to eat it as long as it is only $25.
Another thing that has changed since we moved here is that many of the dental offices seem to work similar to beauty parlors. There is a strip mall clinic, doctors that seem to rent chairs and days, assistants that try to sell additional services, assistants that try to negotiate billing, etc. I like having an estimate but what do you do when the estimate for your tooth ache is "take it or leave it" and doesn't entirely conform to their insurance agreement (as far as I can tell)?
There aren't many dentists on our insurer's list.
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