the govt is the biggest SCAMMER of all

You mean to tell us that our health care providers are out to screw us financially? Say it ain't so!

People have to be a little smarter too. The problem is we have too many people who don’t pay attention to details and don’t read all the fine print.

I am not defending GE Care Credit. If they are under investigation than perhaps there is good reason but I have been a member with them for years. I use my card strictly for Dental visits. I have had a lot of work done and charged thousands of dollars on this card. I always get 6 to 12 months to pay it off interest free. It says right in the literature that you sign when you get the card that if you do not pay it off by the end of the promotional period you will pay all the deferred interest. It even shows it on your statement. I have never paid one penny of interest on this card because I pay it off during the promotional period which is how it is meant to be used. Wake up people!

People are as smart as they can be. The average IQ is 100. You have to be a lawyer to read many of these contracts. Plus, the companies are billing people for work that has not been done. Somehow I don't think those terms are in the contract.

No Brenda I don't believe that is in the contract and those are the companies that will be investigated. You can't bill somebody for services not rendered.

But to say all these companies are just scamming people is a lie. And if you are not smart enough to understand the contract then don't sign it. If you have 6 months to pay off a 700 dollar balance and you are paying the 15 dollar minimum payment each month guess what? At the end of 6 months all that deferred interest is going onto your balance and your rate is going up. It's not rocket science.

I got the CareCredit card to cover my balance after some periodontal work. I had a balance of 1600 that my insurance didn't cover. I have 6 months to pay it off, before any interest accrues.

The end date for the interest free promotion appears on my statements, from CareCredit, so there is no doubt when I have to pay off the balance after making the minimum payments for the first 5 months.

I just made my last payment, before my wife needed oral surgery, so now I have 6 months to pay of the 2500 that my insurance didn't cover.

I don't expect to pay a penny of interest for either balance.

I knew the terms of the agreement, going in, so I'm a little surprised that others didn't understand them.

If I don't pay off the balances within 6 months, I will be charged 24.99 percent interest.

If I had put the charges on my VISA, I would be paying interest at 9% per year, on the outstanding balance each month.

For me, the CareCredit route seems to work.

Should I care that my doctor gets a kickback on any interest that CareCredit collects?

I'm doing what is in my own best interest.

GE Care Credit works for you ONLY when they are offering a zero percent APR promo. Of course these offers are always limited to a period of 6 to 12 months. We have taken advantage of that offer whenever possible.

HOWEVER, should you find yourself using this card at the dentist, eyewear center, or wherever at a time when the promo has expired, you will be hit with an astounding 26.99 percent interest rate. (And we have an excellent credit rating.)

So, pay careful attention to the terms and double check the promo period before you use the Care Credit card. Otherwise, shred it or lock it up.

Do any of you have an IQ of 100, the average?

not a scam if you can read and follow the directions

There are better options than putting charges on a credit card, say patient advocates. The simplest: Ask for an extended payment plan.

Yeh I did & got a GE scamcard for my efforts

They're all crooks, and NEVER trust someone who PRACTICES their profession. (Lawyers, doctors etc.) Wait until they know what the F__k they're doing.

exactly............if you actually read and understand and ask questions like you have some sense then these cards offer interest free for 6 months and work great...the dentist actually pays 5% of the charge of his work to get you the free 6 month interest...............if you dont pay on time you get POPPED for a big interest fee........if you are smart and follow the rules; they work great.....you should never be charged for a procedure till it is started.........ie if they start a crown you pay for it..........it takes two appts but a lab must be paid to make it.......if after it is put in(second appt) and there is a problem, the doc should work out any issues with you /credit you if need be ..etc.............you should not be charged for work that is not started yet.ie your next crown should be charge when that tooth is prepped./started.

If a dentist starts the work he deserves to be paid..........if not;lots of (some) people would not return in a timely fashion which could ruin the work that was started and it has to be redone all over again or never come back and the dentist doesnt get paid.................people hate the dentist and often have to be motivated by the dentist to follow through and finish the work FOR THE PATIENTS OWN GOOD!

Mike, email this to the editors.

I got a Care Credit Card to help with part of a bill of dental expenses that included surgery, implants and other work. I have wonderful dental specialists. Care Credit is offering a service, but my beef with them is that after I paid the bill (over $10,000) on time for 6 months, they moved my 'due date' up by 5 days, then claimed my payment was late so they could charge me interest. I pay my bills online, so my bank records showed that the 'delivery date' of the payment was on time even though they changed the payment date. I think they are like other credit card companies that play games with customers like moving the due date for payments around and other little games to yank up the interest rate. They don't expect busy, overwhelmed people to call them on it and complain, but I did and got them to remove the charge. After that, I got a loan from my bank at an even better interest rate and paid the bill off, which is what I should have done to begin with. Care Credit and other cards should play by the rules.

"they moved my 'due date' up by 5 days, then claimed my payment was late so they could charge me interest."

My solution - I pay my bills, thru online banking, with the scheduled payment dates 10 days in advance of when the payments are due. Never had a late payment, using this method.

you need to tell the dentists what his staff did and get credit for any work not started

The dentist was the culprit!

practice man boo hoo I contacted a dentist and he wanted to do a few hundred dollars of test just to be in his practice I told him that I wouldn't pay to play and to stuff it

bop those test are xrays and exam and i hope your teeth dont fall out

Yeah, diagnostic tests to see what is wrong are all just a nefarious scheme to defraud. What dentist shouldn't be able to peek inside your mouth and tell you what's wrong. We have a word for practices that guess at a diagnosis, then prescribe all kinds of treatments that have about a 50/50 chance of working. And the work isn't "reputable". I don't know your situation, but there is something out there for everyone - you may be better served by a practice that does just that. Let the buyer beware - on any level. Most of the time, we see those patients many hundreds of dollars later, only to find out through accurate testing, that the patient has been treated for the wrong thing. To each his own.

Well put, Practiceman. As a retired nurse, it's nice to know pretty much what is going on going into an office visit. THAT'S MY WAY OF DISCERNING A GOOD VET. But what I like most is that not only do I get questions most "pet parents" wouldn't ask answered, but I'm learning more & more about veterinary science.

You comment is sarcasm where sarcasm is needed! Good for you. And btw, there ARE vets making what surgeons make; I know. My son, outside D.C., spends a fortune on his pets, but gets state-of-the art service & since they are his & his wife's "children," they consider it money well spent.

bopdaddytoo... that why you have a toothbrush, because you don't need a teethbrush any more...

I'm a dentist.

While I can't comment on your specific situation, yeah right-942071, I'll say this. Your doctor must have disclosed these things to you in advance, that's what informed consent is for. You should be INFORMED what has to be done, how, how much it costs, what happens if it's not done.

I want to disagree with some of your other sentiments.

I have found over the last several years all dentists seem to be scamming patients.

You mean the dentists YOU have been to. I don't think you have dealt with every one of the hundreds of thousands of doctors in the country, so please don't generalize.

Every American should have access to dental & health care at an affordable price.

It may be only an extraction, then. Just like with Medicaid: extractions and fillings only, crowns in limited cases, no gum treatment, no root canals. And then, complete dentures down the line, when you lose ALL your teeth. Medicaid will not pay for a replacement of a missing tooth. I'm not sure everyone would like that menu.

Running a dental office is extremely expensive, materials, staff, continuing education cost money. I graduated with a $320,000 student loan. That's a $2000 payment. Before rent, car, groceries and children's expenses. Those who think that dentists make millions are VERY wrong.

We treat people, we are not a bank. Offering interest-free loans which are often not repaid shouldn't be a dentist's concern.

Ditto. And thank you. I'm tired of people thinking that all healthcare professions should be providing care for free. It seems to be prevalent in all the professions, from what I hear. Amazing. Wonder when the last time was that the above expected the proprietor of a restaurant to comp their dinner.

the dentists are not scamming you...... they are charging for a very costly procedure called dental surgery.......the scammers are the insurance companies.........call them and ask about their policies and tell me after you question them about what is covered and how much they pay who is the scammer.

Anytime i go to a dentist and believe me i have helped send many a child to college even with Insurance I make sure that i ask alot of questions if it is regarding a) my mouth and b) my finances.

I have never had anyone refuse to answer or act as if I am bothering them. I am also aware that work on ones mouth even with Insurance is not inexpensive. so therefore when i have had a bad tooth I have had to decide.pull it or root canal it/that is up to me. However I have always chosen root canal i just make sure I have all the facts and appx costs going so I can plan.

It is not up to my dentist to plan for me. I have only asked their help at times with payment consideration and since I have always paid they have always worked with me.

I am not sure why people feel that they are entitled to certain things. Is that not why we work to take care of ourselves and our families?????

carla you are NOT one of the many lowlifes( or liberal elitist who is ashamed of how easy they have it) in this country who think a welfare entitlement and free care is supposed to be paid for all by the govt............as nice as govt paid free work may sound; it is simply financially IMPOSSIBLE TO DO............. and if the govt gets to control it...mark my words ......we all will suffer.

victor...to add to your cost comment....overhead at a dental office is in a range of 50-80% of production.........monthly operating costs before any profit is made for a SMALL dental office is about 20000 ( 240000 per year) a large practice may have 500000 - 1000000plus overhead.

So if you had to pay a minimum of 20000-40000 overhead a month to break even you had better be making some money ........so the next time you think gosh darn dentist is charging the heck out of me............remember he has to cover overhead before he makes a nickle. that dont include paying the labs for their work.

I work for a dental insurance company, and if you ever are told that you need to have work done, get a PRETREATMENT ESTIMATE! The dentist will submit a form that looks just like a claim form with the CDT codes on it for the work they will perform, and you and your dentist will get a copy of the form from your insurance company with what its going to cost to have the services completed. Also, the amt a dentist can charge also depends on if your dentist is an in-network provider or an out-of-network provider. The fees can vary between the two. You should always review your dental plan before you have any work done to see if services are covered.

If you ever have questions about your policy, CALL THEM! Ask them. They all have customer service reps that can provide you with benefit information, and if you have the pretreatment estimate done, you can call them and they will talk to you about it.

Practice Man and Affair Girl - You can't be serious the two of you. What's this BS about people expecting treatment for nothing?? Have you ever been in pain and in need of dental care? People sign up for credit because they need the care. They are in PAIN. Imagine the desperation that some people may experience. Practice man you analygy of a restaurant owner offering a comp meal isn't even in the ball park. Someone in pain in need of care is not the same as someone wanting a free meal. Get off you high horse and realize that health care in this country is a matter of life and death. You can DIE from teeth that are not taken care of. Infections spread and end up in your brain. Americans have a right to affordable, accessable health care regardless of what you say. I can only imagine that you take the position that you do because you have good health insurance or the ability to pay out of pocket. Many people are not so fortunate. I hope you are not suggesting that those that can't pay should be left to suffer in pain or be left to die?????

I am a dentist and learned the hard way that a pretreatment estimate is not a guarantee of payment. What it is is a way for insurance to stall the patient for weeks waiting for paperwork. End result - pain temporarily goes away, patient spends money on Disneyland vacation, insurance wins.

Marianne - So the better way is....don't treat the patient because they can't pay and pain turns into absess and then infection goes to brain possibly causing death. Happened to a little boy not too long ago whose family couldn't afford dental treatment. Is that the kind of dentist you are???

laurie .....you think the government should support everyone....a noble thought but it would ruin this countrys health care...who will pay for it ....doctors cant work for free; just like no one works for free.......hell i work because i HAVE TO..not because i want to..the woman whos kid died should be arrested and social services should take her other kids away from her......if she would have had the sense it takes to get out of the rain her kid would still be alive. any emergency room will see all patients and make arrangements with dds in emergency situations.........that women should be forced to have her tubes tied......... also kids can see medicaid dds but most dentist cant afford to see them because the govt dont pay enough to even cover hourly overhead of a practice..........it must be nice to demand free service because its the right thing to do bleeding heart liberal......oh most dentist also have a cancellation problem of 60% for the medicaid services they offer..the medicaid dont even show up for their free appointments .............also if you dont brush your teeth and eat at mcdonalds three times a day what the hell do you expect.....personal responsibility.......and almost always these people know they have a serious problem for several months and then on friday afternoon they call and want you to see them immediately... they should have called monday am...your lack of planning is not my emergency...if you are stupid you may suffer some consequences in relation to that and of course we have our govt here to tax the hell out of us so these people can have more babies and get more money for each one they have...liberals are idiots or have a govt job to protect. as far as people dieing of a dental infection .it happens and it is very rare and it is almost always because the patient put it off WAY TOO LONG.

I had the exact same experience. Was overcharged by $500 more than my insurance plan allowed. When I brought this up to the dentist they said they used a special type of material not covered by my insurance. They refused to provide a refund. After hours and hours on the phone with my insurance and dental office, they charged back the disputed amount.

The dentist I saw did not explain the material they were using was not covered by insurance. Their office manager said that their charges were what my insurance allowed. So I had paid the bill before the treatments were done. When I went home and looked at my insurance coverage I saw they overcharged me. I contacted the office and the office manager admitted her mistake for not explaining that they used a different material than the one allowed by my plan. I asked for a refund and told her had I been given the choice I would have gone with the material my insurance allowed, not the fancy overpriced stuff that I did not need. They refused to give me a refund and although they admitted it was their mistake.

This was not an isolated incident. The following year I went to another dentist and they tried the same thing. I fortunately had my insurance details with me and made sure they charged me the correct amount.

I am not on medicaid and I never have been. I have always paid out of my own pocket for my dental care as well as healthcare. I have been fortunate enough to not need the help.

Medical & dental costs are at amounts that no person could afford. Yes running a medical/dental practice is expensive but their is no need to make it so your patients go bankrupt in the process.

I have not found a dentist who hasn't tried to rip me off at some point over the last few years. As the SameHere 2293095 said the same thing happened to them. I have had 5 dentists over the last five years and they have all done the same thing and tried to get extra out of me. Luckily this last time I was armed with my insurance coverage information at the appointment or it would have happened again.

Oh and to confuse the issue further many of the dentists use different codes than those the insurance company uses. That is why I started carrying a copy of my policy that listed the codes and the appropriate price for each procedure.

I had a vet refuse to put down a dying dog and wanted to spend my money on a lost cause I told them that I would shoot it first and left

Wow. Glad you're not our client. We consider our patients to be every bit as important as any other doctors' patient. Any respectable vet would not euthanize an animal that is determined to have a reasonable shot at a recovery. Of course, sometimes, when financial constraints make it impossible, we have to do it. Do you believe we should still be taking old people out to the wilderness to die, like an old Indian Chief, too?

bopdaddytoo - you shouldnt be allowed to own pets! I hope you didnt truly take your dog out and shoot him.

Dear GOP Puppet,

I always try to connect to people with different opinions. Sharing ideas and opinions can make you think outside the box. Having said that...how angry you must be to jump from creditcare to politics. Firstly moron, the credit markets have changed so that only the best credit scores will be approved. In fact it has always been hard to qualify that most people get declined. How can you stand it that your leaders pray on your fears and they decide what issues you will be talking about. Do you know what president signed the bailout ? BTW I quit a job working for predatory lending because I could not do that to people. Predatory lenders do exist and good hardworking people maybe not the most educated but they are hardest working. Seriously please educate yourself...even if it changes nothing.

You are so ignorant. It is as if you did not even bother to read the article or was unable to read it. Did you see the word "scam" in it, and the argument that all one has to do is read the fine print is silly and arrogant. I have a PhD, three masters degrees, technical certifications, and my first job out of undergraduate school was as a property and casualty adjuster. You have to be a lawyer to understand many of these contracts. Plus, these companies are adding charges for work that was never done. That is blatant fraud.

Sorry, Misty, but if you went into a vet office and gave authorization for $3700 worth of service without asking about payment terms up front, if you needed them, and then "assumed" they would extend credit, that was not responsible. Then, you are responsible for payments on the card and knowing how they accept payments. I agree the credit card companies interest rates are ridiculous, but it's like anything else in life. You have to be proactive and not blame other people when you do not do a thorough job of managing the situation.

the medical personel are just that....... doctors..not bankers .....they tell you to apply for carecredit.... care credit should explain to you and you should understand what they tell you.......the doctors likely dont know and they may have a girl that knows at the front desk or not?you need to understand what you are signing

the card companies should make their penalty's crystal clear .......