TLDR: Dental office turned away CA Medi-Cal for having Dead Name on it while having new Medicare/CA ID with new name saying it was Suspicious - found a new dental office and now getting billed over $138
Story Time
SO here in CA-USA not sure how it works in other states/Countries you are only allowed to see 1 DR office for 365 Days using Medi-Cal.
so i went into my DR Medical office where they also have Dental.
for the past 3 years since i got my Social Card, Birth certificate, CA-ID, Medicare info changed the DR office has always taken my DEAN NAMED MEDI-CAL card while it was was changed as at the time i never knew how to change it.
Even the labs department for blood worked took it like that as well as RX prescriptions before i updated my Silver Script.
So the person at the counter told me she cant accept my insurance as the name on File does not match the Dead Name on the insurance card and would be flagged as Suspicious, my tooth cracked the day before and pain, they told me i would have to pay out of pocket and once i get a new insurance card with my New Name i can ask them to re-bill it to the insurance then out of pocket.
i needed a RX for pain i had no choice i felt forced i felt it was like getting shot and told... yeah you need to pay out of pocket or bleed out.... LOL
so i paid $1 out of pocket as that was all i had
i then later called around and found another Dental office and they also offer Crown and root Canal and have medi-cal cover it.
so i went with them and they took my medi-cal card under dead name and used my new name on file no questions asked, i explained to them what happen at the other dental office they walked me through the steps to get a new medi-cal card under new name, took me 3 weeks.
went to medi-cal aka The works... was told i dont have medi-cal it was closed 2009.
i left the office confused
went week later talked to someone else who also told me i dont exist...
was told would u like to apply for medi-cal i said sure why not, i applied
as i walked down the street i get a call to return to the office and was told i do have service and that i need to "retract" my application and say it was not done under duress nor coerced to retract my application.
once all this was done they told me to wait 1 to 3 weeks for my new card which came.
i updated it with new dental.... but now feel i goof up as that was back in JAN/FEB and now my tooth is rotting away as they keep tilling me they are waiting on approve with Medi-cal...
so my question is
the 1st Dental office where they in the right or wrong to turn my insurance away... & if so what are my steps to report them
or is this something that is not for this website....
i already paid half of it i only owe $47 more... which to spite them i am only paying them $1 a month.... for 47 months they dont like they they trying to say i have 10 days to pay the full amount >:-)
Why don't you try and find out how to get the name changed on your Medi-Cal card? Surely there is a way to do it.
Short of legally changing everything, I would suggest a carry letter from your therapist. The letter would explain the diagnosis and indicate as a part of treatment you're using the new name however some records may still contain the old one. The therapist should indicate they can be called to clarify any issues. You may still have to be billed under your old name be it will only be until you're able to change all your paperwork.
I carried a similar letter because at the time it was illegal to drive in a disguise. While I never needed it, I would have used it had a policeman stopped me. We called it our get out of jail free card. ;D
i already got my name and gender legally changed and 2 weeks after the Dental Refused my Insurance card i went and got it corrected.
so everything is now up to date.
and the New Dental place i found has me done for a root canal this Thursday & later the crown.
but i wanna go after the DR office for turning my card down for no reason other then they think its suspicious.
the Dental is part of the Medical same patient system so they can see my old insurance was getting paid.
they had no reason to decline my insurance.