I was billed for dental work I never got and my insurance says it’s fraud. But the dentist is threatening collections

Core Insights - Trust is a crucial element in the relationship between patients and medical providers, and breaches of this trust can lead to significant distress for patients [1] Group 1: Case Study of Health Care Fraud - A patient named Cali experienced a situation where her dentist's office misrepresented the coverage of an emergency dental procedure, initially stating it would be covered by insurance [1][2] - After the procedure, the dentist's office claimed that Cali's insurance benefits were maxed out and offered to bill the procedure under a different code, which included services she did not receive, resulting in a $3,000 out-of-pocket cost [2][5] - Cali discovered that her insurance had indeed paid for the procedure, but it had been billed incorrectly, leading her to report the dentist's office for fraudulent claims [3][4] Group 2: Impact of Health Care Fraud - Health care fraud is a significant issue, costing tens of billions of dollars annually, affecting both individuals and businesses, and potentially leading to increased insurance premiums and unnecessary medical procedures [5] - The dentist's office continued to demand payment from Cali, threatening to send her account to collections, yet failed to provide an itemized bill when requested [5]