Dentist office billing
I just moved back to the US and am new to navigating health care. I don't know if this situation is something that I'm being sensitive about because I'm not used to it or if it's weird.
I searched up a dentist that was in network for me and booked an appointment.
Before they did any procedure, I always asked if my insurance covered it (like the X-ray, cleaning, etc) and they reassured me that it did. I told them that I'm new to insurance in the US but have learned to ask but if they can explain stuff to me that would be helpful.
He found 6 cavities. I had a check up a year ago in France and didn't have anything except tarter build up. So I asked- is this gonna cost me like 1k? He said no let me run it through your insurance and came back with an itemized quote for 800. I went forward with it and had a pleasant experience in the office. A few weeks later, I was informed I over paid by like 400$. I was happy at first but then asked how and the receptionist let it slip that they thought they weren't in network for me so the bill was higher but once they got the bill back, it was a lot lower.
Idk. That rubbed me wrong. I came there thinking that they were in network (and was right) but they never told me that even though I told them I found them through my insurance and that it is something I'm still learning in the US. I would have gone to someone who was in network if I knew that wasn't the insurance price. In the end they were wrong to bill me out of network but I still didn't like thinking that they would have never told me why the bill was so high.
Is that shady, or is that just how it is here? Like I did my part by checking if they were in network before going in, but their billing mistake made me get the vibe that even if they hadnt accidentally charged me out of network, that they would have billed my insurance weird.