After over 8 years of avoiding the dentist it was recommended that I try out Dr. Eric Yaremko, because he specializes in people who have dental anxiety. Before I scheduled the appointment I made sure to ask if they took my insurance or if there was anything I needed to know. I was completely assured by their staff that my insurance would go through just fine.
The initial appointment was a complete waste of my time. I spent two hours being poked and prodded and they did not even take the time to clean my teeth. After spending as many years as I have avoiding the dentist, the least they could of done was spend half an hour cleaning my teeth! They took numerous x-rays without consulting with me regarding costs or referring back to my insurance plan to see what would be covered. After all of this was complete, the dentist sat me down to discuss my treatment options. He claimed that I would need braces (otherwise my teeth would fall out by the time I was sixty, despite the fact that I already had braces in middle school), I had multiple cavities, I needed a deep cleaning that would require me to be anesthetized, he made me feel that the appearance of my teeth were only satisfactory (I believe his quote was if youre happy with the way they look then I guess thats good enough), and it was very dire that I get my wisdom teeth (that are not even halfway grown in yet) out IMMEDIATELY.
If the extensive treatment plan wasnt enough to upset me, then the cost of it all certainly would be! He quoted me for the minimum at $1,910, which my insurance would allegedly only cover less than half. If I wanted a valium to take before my fillings it would be $330, if I wanted a series of valium to take it would cost me out of pocket $550. I have dual coverage under my mothers dental insurance as well, they informed me that her insurance would not apply to my appointment unless I used up all of my yearly allowed amount. It made me suspicious. The whole appointment made me angry.
As I was leaving the receptionist said they would send my insurance the information from my visit and IF there was a bill I would receive it shortly. To me, that implied that there would not be a very large bill, if any!
I left shocked and upset. I had such a horrible experience that I vowed to never go back and got a recommendation from a co-worker for a reputable dentist for an appointment the next afternoon. The next afternoon I went to the other dentist, again fearing the worst and I was very surprised. I only had one small surface cavity, I did not need braces, the x-rays that were taken were not adequate and some needed to be redone (at no charge), they offered to write a prescription for valium if I needed (which would be covered my Rx insurance), basically the cost of necessary treatment was 1/6 of Dr. Yaremkos estimateeven before insurance!
I waited for several weeks to hear back from Dr. Yaremkos office and one day I received a call from my mom saying that she got a statement in the mail. I was surprised that they billed her insurance because I was informed that they were not going to. I called Dr. Yaremkos office and asked about my billing and insurance confusion because I had yet to receive a bill, they informed me that their records show that I had zero account balance. The NEXT day I received a bill directly from Yaremkos office for $130. My moms bill that she had for me stated I owed the insurance $180. I was very confused at what could possible cost that much!
I called the insurance company and was incredibly surprised to find out that Dr. Yaremkos office was not in my dental network. I also found out that they took more x-rays then my dental plan allows within a 5 year period, leaving me to pay for the extras at cost. Right away I phoned Yaremkos office. They seemed surprised when I asked them why they didnt inform me that they were not in my network. If I had known this I would NOT have gone to them in the first place, hence me asking if I was completely covered with my insurance.
None of this seems right to me. I was lied to and I feel like they have some unscrupulous business practices.in my research I found one other review from a prior patient saying that Dr. Yaremko was very quick to come up with costly and unnecessary treatment options, they reported complications with insurance and also recommended getting a second opinion. They are billing me for unnecessary x-rays that I had no idea werent covered by insurance! They are the dentist, they are the professional, I trusted them not to rob me for their own financial gain. When he was discussing my options I should of realized it was a red flag when he kept mentioning how important it was for his office to receive good reviews, even on the bill it mentions a good review is the best thank you we can receive. All of that says to me that they are just about the gimmicks and superficially worried about their reputation to a point where they have to tell people to say nice things about them, as if people wouldnt think to do that on their own. All they need is just for a patient to walk in the door and then the dollar signs start adding up.
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