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Dentist's charge for PPE
Old 06-17-2020, 04:58 PM   #1
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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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Old 06-17-2020, 05:02 PM   #2
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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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Old 06-17-2020, 05:09 PM   #3
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If they charge for that I will look for a new dentist.
I would not pay. PPE is a required part of his job.
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Old 06-17-2020, 05:10 PM   #4
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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.
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Old 06-17-2020, 05:21 PM   #5
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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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Old 06-17-2020, 05:27 PM   #6
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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.
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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Old 06-17-2020, 05:32 PM   #7
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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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Old 06-17-2020, 05:37 PM   #8
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Saw on another site that it violates insurance rules to charge for PPE. Can try to locate it if needed.
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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Old 06-17-2020, 06:04 PM   #9
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I would question that charge and not paid that PPE charge.
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Old 06-17-2020, 06:23 PM   #10
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I would question that charge and not paid that PPE charge.
Shoulda, yeah...I'm really a wimp sometimes.
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Old 06-17-2020, 06:26 PM   #11
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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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Old 06-17-2020, 11:19 PM   #12
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Saw on another site that it violates insurance rules to charge for PPE. Can try to locate it if needed.
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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Old 06-17-2020, 11:29 PM   #13
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Saw on another site that it violates insurance rules to charge for PPE. Can try to locate it if needed.
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.
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Old 06-17-2020, 11:52 PM   #14
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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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Old 06-18-2020, 03:03 AM   #15
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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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Old 06-18-2020, 04:57 AM   #16
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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.
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Old 06-18-2020, 05:48 AM   #17
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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.
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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Old 06-18-2020, 06:13 AM   #18
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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.
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.
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Old 06-18-2020, 06:15 AM   #19
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I would vote no with my dollars and find a new dentist.
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Old 06-18-2020, 06:36 AM   #20
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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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