Q: Can I be held liable for a dental bill when correct amounts were not initially disclosed or signed for?
My dentist office continuously provided procedures under the pretense that they would be covered by my insurance. I have now discovered that I hit my spending limit, despite asking the office multiple times if I was coming up on it. They are now holding me accountable for out of pocket costs that I never agreed to prior to receiving services.
A: Unless you can show a knowing and intentional act on the part of the dental office to fraudulently trick you into dental services they knew were not covered by your insurance plan, and you clearly and unequivocally communicated to them that you would only accept the procedures if they confirmed ahead of time that you had insurance coverage to pay for it, then no, you owe the money. I am not even sure you can shift to them the obligation to check on your coverage limits. It's your dental insurance plan. Why didn't you check to see if you have exceeded coverage limits before you agreed to undergo the dental work? A negligent failure to check on their part is not going to help you win this argument. Absent intentional fraud, you received the benefit of the dental services, so a judge is going to require that you pay for those services and not benefit for free at the dental practice's expense.
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