u/Numerous-Height-7216

Please help me. This has been a very stressful ordeal since march as I’ve been in pain since then! This is A very lengthy story but I will add a tldr at the very end if you don’t want to read the really long version…

2 issues with my insurance / this small dental private practice regarding a refund, please help me!

I am in the us. I changed my insurance to my work insurance earlier this year as it was far better than the one I was on but obviously more expensive so that’s a downside. I use my insurance app to also look at my claims as I also get notified about when they come through.

With my new insurance, I went to a new dental practice where I wasn’t sure what to expect pricing wise but it’s a private small practice in the area- they do take my insurance however so I wasn’t expecting astronomical prices. I want to point out though every single appointment I’ve had that I only paid for the services received that day. Even then, the prices were off the charts expensive but they kept assuring me that’s with my insurance coverage, but it still felt really fishy considering the really expensive costs.

Only reason I went there was needing an emergency dental appointment so I could be seen for the nerve pain I was experiencing in a tooth months ago this year ;after trying to bite hot food) and this tooth I already got a root canal treatment for it 2x previously.

Mind you the first impression I had of this place was bad as the hygienist said she lost track of time and I ended up waiting around 50 minutes when it wasn’t even busy for her to get me. Then the second time, even though I made sure many times to keep me with the emergency dentist I saw, they gave me someone else I didn’t meet until that day.

I did a full teeth evaluation with a bunch of x rays which didn’t cost me anything. But both the dentist and hygienist said I had massive issues in my teeth where I had a plethora of cavities and how id “definitely” need a tooth extraction because of a molar I didn’t have on my upper tooth which was causing the bottom to have my gums grow partially over it.

Now I’m not a stranger to having many cavities, but I did a cleaning and full teeth eval just a couple months prior at my old dentist where they said I was OK. I know what bad cavities look like since I’ve had many and it seemed she was trying to make it look worse than it was? But I decided to trust because I’m not the dentist and my friend said she had great experiences here.

Again, I originally came for nerve pain in my already root canal done tooth. They took off the crown (which they noted was very bulky) and gave me a better fitting one which I can confirm it did feel like it felt better. But they did start work on the other side of my mouth in the mean time as again they said I had many cavities.

My back tooth was worked on on the opposite side where they said it was a minor cavity but apparently upon looking at it more they said the cavity was very deep. At this moment I was in the chair with many things in my mouth so I couldn’t talk… and when the curing light touched my tooth it ached SO terribly I jumped up from my seat. In my many years of cavities I never ever had that sensation before. At this moment I started panicking but she blamed it on my teeth being sensitive which I didn’t buy.

However she said it’ll feel better when she seals the filling and she did mention she likes to overfill because my small fillings at another appointment with her ached a lot which again I never experienced before but only with her and she mentioned it.

Anyways, I was heavily numbed during this time so I could fully tell if the ache went away but I gave them a thumbs up that it seemed the pulsing ache went away. When I got home though the tooth felt worse and worse and I couldn’t eat. Mind you this tooth did not have ANY pain prior to her touching it so I knew something was awry. I was crying and sobbing at work every day because there was this pulsating nerve pain in my jaw and I left work early to see her again as an emergency. I did say remember the tooth she touched where it ached really bad and she said yes.

Yet she started to shave down other teeth she worked on slightly but that wasn’t the tooth I told her that hurt.and at that time I didn’t know the exact tooth that she hurt, I just knew it was one of the back and I pointed to it as well where she claimed she “never touched the tooth” I pointed at. Which is true, she had not but she did say I have a giant cavity in that tooth and I need a crown on the bottom and top of it without even seeing it. She tapped it and it hurt so she said it was that tooth, yet she wouldn’t work on it even though I was in excruciating pain and said to come in 2 weeks. I obviously couldn’t wait that long and sought a second opinion the next day.

I needed the x rays that were taken from the office, and they gave me a really hard time about it and when the new dentist called them so they can hurry up with sending it to me, the financial person was extremely nasty to me over the phone asking me if I was switching care with a nasty tone and saying how I still need to finish treatment on the tooth they put a new temporary crown in. I did say yeah that’s still the plan but that was also before I got fully evaluated by the new dentist that day. Even after that, they took around 2 hours to send my x rays further delaying my treatment to which they did see exactly which teeth she filled by comparing my x rays, and we did indeed find out the back tooth she worked on was the one that hurt so bad.

The new dentist re did the entire filling in hopes to save it because I was in so much pain and to avoid a root canal, and this was also 2 days after the original office working on it- I waited about a week with no improvement and the pain just being a devil. She then referred me to a endodontist where of course none of the scans were covered by insurance. They confirmed that the filing was touching my nerve and that the shape of my tooth is a C shape, so I guess what happened is that my tooth shape wasn’t considered and when she shot the filling in, it hit my nerve instantly which caused my painful reaction in the chair.

All in all, a new endodontist had to go in and do this root canal over the course of 3 visits and the crown the original place put in actually was also wasted money because my gums were very swollen again and the new dentist I attended told me the crown margin was too high and also food kept getting stuck inside so they were both smashing into my gums causing infection, so I had to get it taken off and another new crown in.

All of these extra appointments I wasn’t expecting and at new practices too as you can imagine have cost me tons of unexpected financial costs especially since I’ve maxed out on the insurance already because I’ve been going to so many visits. When I got my claims in from insurance, it showed me for the appointment I got the original crown in that I should’ve only paid around $300 for but I paid nearly 2K for it.

Then at my emergency appointment that I went to where she didn’t treat me, they said there is no charge today and I kept asking if they were positive and they said absolutely no charge to which I thought it made total sense considering I was coming to them for an issue they caused. Yet later the claim went through and they are asking for almost $250 for a 5 min appointment that wasn’t even solved and I was verbally told I didn’t have to pay for.

I have spoken to many representatives on the phone for hours about this ordeal to which all have agreed that this first practice did me very wrong and I’m obviously rightfully owed my refund. The guy I spoke to first said the practice claimed they wouldn’t refund me until I finished my treatment with them which it was clear I wasn’t going to, but they were clearly trying to not pay me my refund. Additionally, when I spoke to the dentist directly who made the tooth ache she shifted the blame onto stating that she did tell me if this doesn’t improve that I could need a root canal as this does happen. However again, this tooth didn’t hurt at all prior to her touch it. I wasn’t looking for an apology from her but I did want to tell her how frustrated I am, but the lack of accountability was astounding because it was very clear from the x rays taken post treatment that the filling was touching my nerve.

Then the others I spoke to we finally submitted claims so I can get refunded. The 3rd person I spoke to got one claim wrong so I got a letter from my insurance that I’m owed half of a refund because the claim was incorrect and the other claim about me not paying them for the emergency appointment, they Denied me the refund which I’m very upset about so I submitted a 2nd appeal for that and had to make a brand new appeal for the one that was done incorrectly.

Following the mail I got regarding the refund I am owed although it wasn’t the correct claim for one, I was still told that the office has 30 days to refund me or I call my insurance. Yet the next week I got classified mail that I needed to sign for by the dental office where I thought it was my refund but it wasn’t.

It was a letter stating I still need to come in for treatment which they know I’m not coming in for based off how they know how I feel about what happened. I fear this is their way of stating they won’t refund me even though my insurance ordered them to… so I sent this letter documentation to the person I spoke to last as they sent me a email to send my personal statement in regarding this fiasco to help my case and I also stated I am not comfortable speaking to the office and how I find this odd to send considering they are still supposed to give me a refund. I have yet to hear back so I’m going to give it one more week since it’s Fourth of July weekend now… but should I not hear back should I just wait until I hear from the new appeals that were made on the decisions on those or just call a new representative from the insurance?

Even if I was going back to finish treatment (which I’m not) it doesn’t change the fact that I’m owed my refund for what I was overcharged for since I only paid for services they’ve done so far. Mind you all of them were terrible since they all ached or went wrong where I had to get them fixed by new dentists and this whole thing has been so so stressful. Also, the new dental practice says it’s really extreme to even consider extraction and that it seems I do have cavities but it’s far less than what I was told at the other place. They also said my teeth look perfectly ok whereas the last place said I have terrible teeth. I’ve been in pain for months for the tooth on the opposite side, but because of the mistake of the dentist it caused a whole new issue that was immediately painful and the financial costs have been so stressful as well. Having to not eat on both sides of the mouth is also a pain..

TL;DR:

I switched to my work dental insurance this year and went to a new in-network private dental office for an emergency visit due to pain in a previously root-canaled tooth. They assured me my expensive out-of-pocket costs were correct with my insurance, so I trusted them.

During treatment they claimed I had many cavities and even recommended an extraction that multiple dentists have since said I don’t need. While filling a tooth that had never hurt before, I experienced severe pain when the curing light touched it. The dentist dismissed it as “sensitive teeth.” After the numbness wore off, I developed excruciating nerve pain and couldn’t eat.

I returned for an emergency visit, but they didn’t treat the correct tooth and told me there would be no charge for the visit. The next day I got a second opinion. The new dentist confirmed it was the tooth the first dentist filled, redid the filling, and an endodontist later confirmed the filling had irritated my nerve due to my tooth’s unusual anatomy. I ultimately needed a root canal that likely could have been avoided.

The crown the original office placed also failed because it was poorly fitted, causing gum inflammation and food impaction, so another dentist had to replace that too.

On top of the physical pain, I’ve spent thousands of dollars unexpectedly. My insurance later showed I was overcharged by nearly $2,000 for taking off a crown I already had on and then putting a new one in (I should have owed around $300 only), and I was later billed almost $250 for the 5-minute emergency visit that I was explicitly told would be free.

I’ve spent hours with my insurance. They agreed I was overcharged, but one appeal was filed incorrectly and another was denied, so both had to be appealed again. My insurance instructed the dental office to issue a refund within 30 days, but instead of sending a refund, the office mailed me a certified letter that I needed to sign in order to get telling me to come back for treatment—even though they know I transferred my care elsewhere.

I’m waiting on the new appeals. If I don’t hear back soon, should I call my insurance again, or wait for the appeal decisions? Has anyone dealt with a provider refusing to refund an overpayment after insurance determined one was owed? Also I am really hoping this 2nd appeal goes well for the other visit they are asking me to pay for that they told me wasn’t needed to be paid but I don’t know what to do from that point. I am very uncomfortable speaking to the office myself now because they have been nasty to me. Additionally per the request of the representative I did even send a screenshot of proof of payment for the massive overcharge as well so I’m not sure how they even got it wrong in the decision letter the first time even if one of the claims added in was incorrect but yeah.

Please help me. This has been a very stressful ordeal since march as I’ve been in pain since then! This is A very lengthy story but I will add a tldr at the very end if you don’t want to read the really long version…

2 issues with my insurance / this small dental private practice regarding a refund, please help me!

I am in the us. I changed my insurance to my work insurance earlier this year as it was far better than the one I was on but obviously more expensive so that’s a downside. I use my insurance app to also look at my claims as I also get notified about when they come through.

With my new insurance, I went to a new dental practice where I wasn’t sure what to expect pricing wise but it’s a private small practice in the area- they do take my insurance however so I wasn’t expecting astronomical prices. I want to point out though every single appointment I’ve had that I only paid for the services received that day. Even then, the prices were off the charts expensive but they kept assuring me that’s with my insurance coverage, but it still felt really fishy considering the really expensive costs.

Only reason I went there was needing an emergency dental appointment so I could be seen for the nerve pain I was experiencing in a tooth months ago this year ;after trying to bite hot food) and this tooth I already got a root canal treatment for it 2x previously.

Mind you the first impression I had of this place was bad as the hygienist said she lost track of time and I ended up waiting around 50 minutes when it wasn’t even busy for her to get me. Then the second time, even though I made sure many times to keep me with the emergency dentist I saw, they gave me someone else I didn’t meet until that day.

I did a full teeth evaluation with a bunch of x rays which didn’t cost me anything. But both the dentist and hygienist said I had massive issues in my teeth where I had a plethora of cavities and how id “definitely” need a tooth extraction because of a molar I didn’t have on my upper tooth which was causing the bottom to have my gums grow partially over it.

Now I’m not a stranger to having many cavities, but I did a cleaning and full teeth eval just a couple months prior at my old dentist where they said I was OK. I know what bad cavities look like since I’ve had many and it seemed she was trying to make it look worse than it was? But I decided to trust because I’m not the dentist and my friend said she had great experiences here.

Again, I originally came for nerve pain in my already root canal done tooth. They took off the crown (which they noted was very bulky) and gave me a better fitting one which I can confirm it did feel like it felt better. But they did start work on the other side of my mouth in the mean time as again they said I had many cavities.

My back tooth was worked on on the opposite side where they said it was a minor cavity but apparently upon looking at it more they said the cavity was very deep. At this moment I was in the chair with many things in my mouth so I couldn’t talk… and when the curing light touched my tooth it ached SO terribly I jumped up from my seat. In my many years of cavities I never ever had that sensation before. At this moment I started panicking but she blamed it on my teeth being sensitive which I didn’t buy.

However she said it’ll feel better when she seals the filling and she did mention she likes to overfill because my small fillings at another appointment with her ached a lot which again I never experienced before but only with her and she mentioned it.

Anyways, I was heavily numbed during this time so I could fully tell if the ache went away but I gave them a thumbs up that it seemed the pulsing ache went away. When I got home though the tooth felt worse and worse and I couldn’t eat. Mind you this tooth did not have ANY pain prior to her touching it so I knew something was awry. I was crying and sobbing at work every day because there was this pulsating nerve pain in my jaw and I left work early to see her again as an emergency. I did say remember the tooth she touched where it ached really bad and she said yes.

Yet she started to shave down other teeth she worked on slightly but that wasn’t the tooth I told her that hurt.and at that time I didn’t know the exact tooth that she hurt, I just knew it was one of the back and I pointed to it as well where she claimed she “never touched the tooth” I pointed at. Which is true, she had not but she did say I have a giant cavity in that tooth and I need a crown on the bottom and top of it without even seeing it. She tapped it and it hurt so she said it was that tooth, yet she wouldn’t work on it even though I was in excruciating pain and said to come in 2 weeks. I obviously couldn’t wait that long and sought a second opinion the next day.

I needed the x rays that were taken from the office, and they gave me a really hard time about it and when the new dentist called them so they can hurry up with sending it to me, the financial person was extremely nasty to me over the phone asking me if I was switching care with a nasty tone and saying how I still need to finish treatment on the tooth they put a new temporary crown in. I did say yeah that’s still the plan but that was also before I got fully evaluated by the new dentist that day. Even after that, they took around 2 hours to send my x rays further delaying my treatment to which they did see exactly which teeth she filled by comparing my x rays, and we did indeed find out the back tooth she worked on was the one that hurt so bad.

The new dentist re did the entire filling in hopes to save it because I was in so much pain and to avoid a root canal, and this was also 2 days after the original office working on it- I waited about a week with no improvement and the pain just being a devil. She then referred me to a endodontist where of course none of the scans were covered by insurance. They confirmed that the filing was touching my nerve and that the shape of my tooth is a C shape, so I guess what happened is that my tooth shape wasn’t considered and when she shot the filling in, it hit my nerve instantly which caused my painful reaction in the chair.

All in all, a new endodontist had to go in and do this root canal over the course of 3 visits and the crown the original place put in actually was also wasted money because my gums were very swollen again and the new dentist I attended told me the crown margin was too high and also food kept getting stuck inside so they were both smashing into my gums causing infection, so I had to get it taken off and another new crown in.

All of these extra appointments I wasn’t expecting and at new practices too as you can imagine have cost me tons of unexpected financial costs especially since I’ve maxed out on the insurance already because I’ve been going to so many visits. When I got my claims in from insurance, it showed me for the appointment I got the original crown in that I should’ve only paid around $300 for but I paid nearly 2K for it.

Then at my emergency appointment that I went to where she didn’t treat me, they said there is no charge today and I kept asking if they were positive and they said absolutely no charge to which I thought it made total sense considering I was coming to them for an issue they caused. Yet later the claim went through and they are asking for almost $250 for a 5 min appointment that wasn’t even solved and I was verbally told I didn’t have to pay for.

I have spoken to many representatives on the phone for hours about this ordeal to which all have agreed that this first practice did me very wrong and I’m obviously rightfully owed my refund. The guy I spoke to first said the practice claimed they wouldn’t refund me until I finished my treatment with them which it was clear I wasn’t going to, but they were clearly trying to not pay me my refund. Additionally, when I spoke to the dentist directly who made the tooth ache she shifted the blame onto stating that she did tell me if this doesn’t improve that I could need a root canal as this does happen. However again, this tooth didn’t hurt at all prior to her touch it. I wasn’t looking for an apology from her but I did want to tell her how frustrated I am, but the lack of accountability was astounding because it was very clear from the x rays taken post treatment that the filling was touching my nerve.

Then the others I spoke to we finally submitted claims so I can get refunded. The 3rd person I spoke to got one claim wrong so I got a letter from my insurance that I’m owed half of a refund because the claim was incorrect and the other claim about me not paying them for the emergency appointment, they Denied me the refund which I’m very upset about so I submitted a 2nd appeal for that and had to make a brand new appeal for the one that was done incorrectly.

Following the mail I got regarding the refund I am owed although it wasn’t the correct claim for one, I was still told that the office has 30 days to refund me or I call my insurance. Yet the next week I got classified mail that I needed to sign for by the dental office where I thought it was my refund but it wasn’t.

It was a letter stating I still need to come in for treatment which they know I’m not coming in for based off how they know how I feel about what happened. I fear this is their way of stating they won’t refund me even though my insurance ordered them to… so I sent this letter documentation to the person I spoke to last as they sent me a email to send my personal statement in regarding this fiasco to help my case and I also stated I am not comfortable speaking to the office and how I find this odd to send considering they are still supposed to give me a refund. I have yet to hear back so I’m going to give it one more week since it’s Fourth of July weekend now… but should I not hear back should I just wait until I hear from the new appeals that were made on the decisions on those or just call a new representative from the insurance?

Even if I was going back to finish treatment (which I’m not) it doesn’t change the fact that I’m owed my refund for what I was overcharged for since I only paid for services they’ve done so far. Mind you all of them were terrible since they all ached or went wrong where I had to get them fixed by new dentists and this whole thing has been so so stressful. Also, the new dental practice says it’s really extreme to even consider extraction and that it seems I do have cavities but it’s far less than what I was told at the other place. They also said my teeth look perfectly ok whereas the last place said I have terrible teeth. I’ve been in pain for months for the tooth on the opposite side, but because of the mistake of the dentist it caused a whole new issue that was immediately painful and the financial costs have been so stressful as well. Having to not eat on both sides of the mouth is also a pain..

TL;DR:

I switched to my work dental insurance this year and went to a new in-network private dental office for an emergency visit due to pain in a previously root-canaled tooth. They assured me my expensive out-of-pocket costs were correct with my insurance, so I trusted them.

During treatment they claimed I had many cavities and even recommended an extraction that multiple dentists have since said I don’t need. While filling a tooth that had never hurt before, I experienced severe pain when the curing light touched it. The dentist dismissed it as “sensitive teeth.” After the numbness wore off, I developed excruciating nerve pain and couldn’t eat.

I returned for an emergency visit, but they didn’t treat the correct tooth and told me there would be no charge for the visit. The next day I got a second opinion. The new dentist confirmed it was the tooth the first dentist filled, redid the filling, and an endodontist later confirmed the filling had irritated my nerve due to my tooth’s unusual anatomy. I ultimately needed a root canal that likely could have been avoided.

The crown the original office placed also failed because it was poorly fitted, causing gum inflammation and food impaction, so another dentist had to replace that too.

On top of the physical pain, I’ve spent thousands of dollars unexpectedly. My insurance later showed I was overcharged by nearly $2,000 for taking off a crown I already had on and then putting a new one in (I should have owed around $300 only), and I was later billed almost $250 for the 5-minute emergency visit that I was explicitly told would be free.

I’ve spent hours with my insurance. They agreed I was overcharged, but one appeal was filed incorrectly and another was denied, so both had to be appealed again. My insurance instructed the dental office to issue a refund within 30 days, but instead of sending a refund, the office mailed me a certified letter that I needed to sign in order to get telling me to come back for treatment—even though they know I transferred my care elsewhere.

I’m waiting on the new appeals. If I don’t hear back soon, should I call my insurance again, or wait for the appeal decisions? Has anyone dealt with a provider refusing to refund an overpayment after insurance determined one was owed? Also I am really hoping this 2nd appeal goes well for the other visit they are asking me to pay for that they told me wasn’t needed to be paid but I don’t know what to do from that point. I am very uncomfortable speaking to the office myself now because they have been nasty to me. Additionally per the request of the representative I did even send a screenshot of proof of payment for the massive overcharge as well so I’m not sure how they even got it wrong in the decision letter the first time even if one of the claims added in was incorrect but yeah.

Also when asking the insurance representative he did tell me it’s quite rare for a practice to overcharge as much as they did with me because of my specific plan there’s usually a correct amount in place of payment so he agreed that they way overcharged me and wants to help

2 issues with my insurance / this small dental private practice regarding a refund, please help me!

This is a lengthy story but please bear with me. I really need advice on what to do.

I am in the us, mid 20s. I changed my insurance to my work insurance earlier this year as it was far better than the one I was on but obviously more expensive so that’s a downside. I use my insurance app to also look at my claims as I also get notified about when they come through.

With my new insurance, I went to a new dental practice where I wasn’t sure what to expect pricing wise but it’s a private small practice in the area- they do take my insurance however so I wasn’t expecting astronomical prices. I want to point out though every single appointment I’ve had that I only paid for the services received that day. Even then, the prices were off the charts expensive but they kept assuring me that’s with my insurance coverage, but it still felt really fishy considering the really expensive costs.

Only reason I went there was needing an emergency dental appointment so I could be seen for the nerve pain I was experiencing in a tooth months ago this year ;after trying to bite hot food) and this tooth I already got a root canal treatment for it 2x previously.

Mind you the first impression I had of this place was bad as the hygienist said she lost track of time and I ended up waiting around 50 minutes when it wasn’t even busy for her to get me. Then the second time, even though I made sure many times to keep me with the emergency dentist I saw, they gave me someone else I didn’t meet until that day.

I did a full teeth evaluation with a bunch of x rays which didn’t cost me anything. But both the dentist and hygienist said I had massive issues in my teeth where I had a plethora of cavities and how id “definitely” need a tooth extraction because of a molar I didn’t have on my upper tooth which was causing the bottom to have my gums grow partially over it.

Now I’m not a stranger to having many cavities, but I did a cleaning and full teeth eval just a couple months prior at my old dentist where they said I was OK. I know what bad cavities look like since I’ve had many and it seemed she was trying to make it look worse than it was? But I decided to trust because I’m not the dentist and my friend said she had great experiences here.

Again, I originally came for nerve pain in my already root canal done tooth. They took off the crown (which they noted was very bulky) and gave me a better fitting one which I can confirm it did feel like it felt better. But they did start work on the other side of my mouth in the mean time as again they said I had many cavities.

My back tooth was worked on on the opposite side where they said it was a minor cavity but apparently upon looking at it more they said the cavity was very deep. At this moment I was in the chair with many things in my mouth so I couldn’t talk… and when the curing light touched my tooth it ached SO terribly I jumped up from my seat. In my many years of cavities I never ever had that sensation before. At this moment I started panicking but she blamed it on my teeth being sensitive which I didn’t buy.

However she said it’ll feel better when she seals the filling and she did mention she likes to overfill because my small fillings at another appointment with her ached a lot which again I never experienced before but only with her and she mentioned it.

Anyways, I was heavily numbed during this time so I could fully tell if the ache went away but I gave them a thumbs up that it seemed the pulsing ache went away. When I got home though the tooth felt worse and worse and I couldn’t eat. Mind you this tooth did not have ANY pain prior to her touching it so I knew something was awry. I was crying and sobbing at work every day because there was this pulsating nerve pain in my jaw and I left work early to see her again as an emergency. I did say remember the tooth she touched where it ached really bad and she said yes.

Yet she started to shave down other teeth she worked on slightly but that wasn’t the tooth I told her that hurt.and at that time I didn’t know the exact tooth that she hurt, I just knew it was one of the back and I pointed to it as well where she claimed she “never touched the tooth” I pointed at. Which is true, she had not but she did say I have a giant cavity in that tooth and I need a crown on the bottom and top of it without even seeing it. She tapped it and it hurt so she said it was that tooth, yet she wouldn’t work on it even though I was in excruciating pain and said to come in 2 weeks. I obviously couldn’t wait that long and sought a second opinion the next day.

I needed the x rays that were taken from the office, and they gave me a really hard time about it and when the new dentist called them so they can hurry up with sending it to me, the financial person was extremely nasty to me over the phone asking me if I was switching care with a nasty tone and saying how I still need to finish treatment on the tooth they put a new temporary crown in. I did say yeah that’s still the plan but that was also before I got fully evaluated by the new dentist that day. Even after that, they took around 2 hours to send my x rays further delaying my treatment to which they did see exactly which teeth she filled by comparing my x rays, and we did indeed find out the back tooth she worked on was the one that hurt so bad.

The new dentist re did the entire filling in hopes to save it because I was in so much pain and to avoid a root canal, and this was also 2 days after the original office working on it- I waited about a week with no improvement and the pain just being a devil. She then referred me to a endodontist where of course none of the scans were covered by insurance. They confirmed that the filing was touching my nerve and that the shape of my tooth is a C shape, so I guess what happened is that my tooth shape wasn’t considered and when she shot the filling in, it hit my nerve instantly which caused my painful reaction in the chair.

All in all, a new endodontist had to go in and do this root canal over the course of 3 visits and the crown the original place put in actually was also wasted money because my gums were very swollen again and the new dentist I attended told me the crown margin was too high and also food kept getting stuck inside so they were both smashing into my gums causing infection, so I had to get it taken off and another new crown in.

All of these extra appointments I wasn’t expecting and at new practices too as you can imagine have cost me tons of unexpected financial costs especially since I’ve maxed out on the insurance already because I’ve been going to so many visits. When I got my claims in from insurance, it showed me for the appointment I got the original crown in that I should’ve only paid around $300 for but I paid nearly 2K for it.

Then at my emergency appointment that I went to where she didn’t treat me, they said there is no charge today and I kept asking if they were positive and they said absolutely no charge to which I thought it made total sense considering I was coming to them for an issue they caused. Yet later the claim went through and they are asking for almost $250 for a 5 min appointment that wasn’t even solved and I was verbally told I didn’t have to pay for.

I have spoken to many representatives on the phone for hours about this ordeal to which all have agreed that this first practice did me very wrong and I’m obviously rightfully owed my refund. The guy I spoke to first said the practice claimed they wouldn’t refund me until I finished my treatment with them which it was clear I wasn’t going to, but they were clearly trying to not pay me my refund. Additionally, when I spoke to the dentist directly who made the tooth ache she shifted the blame onto stating that she did tell me if this doesn’t improve that I could need a root canal as this does happen. However again, this tooth didn’t hurt at all prior to her touch it. I wasn’t looking for an apology from her but I did want to tell her how frustrated I am, but the lack of accountability was astounding because it was very clear from the x rays taken post treatment that the filling was touching my nerve.

Then the others I spoke to we finally submitted claims so I can get refunded. The 3rd person I spoke to got one claim wrong so I got a letter from my insurance that I’m owed half of a refund because the claim was incorrect and the other claim about me not paying them for the emergency appointment, they Denied me the refund which I’m very upset about so I submitted a 2nd appeal for that and had to make a brand new appeal for the one that was done incorrectly.

Following the mail I got regarding the refund I am owed although it wasn’t the correct claim for one, I was still told that the office has 30 days to refund me or I call my insurance. Yet the next week I got classified mail that I needed to sign for by the dental office where I thought it was my refund but it wasn’t.

It was a letter stating I still need to come in for treatment which they know I’m not coming in for based off how they know how I feel about what happened. I fear this is their way of stating they won’t refund me even though my insurance ordered them to… so I sent this letter documentation to the person I spoke to last as they sent me a email to send my personal statement in regarding this fiasco to help my case and I also stated I am not comfortable speaking to the office and how I find this odd to send considering they are still supposed to give me a refund. I have yet to hear back so I’m going to give it one more week since it’s Fourth of July weekend now… but should I not hear back should I just wait until I hear from the new appeals that were made on the decisions on those or just call a new representative from the insurance?

Even if I was going back to finish treatment (which I’m not) it doesn’t change the fact that I’m owed my refund for what I was overcharged for since I only paid for services they’ve done so far. Mind you all of them were terrible since they all ached or went wrong where I had to get them fixed by new dentists and this whole thing has been so so stressful. Also, the new dental practice says it’s really extreme to even consider extraction and that it seems I do have cavities but it’s far less than what I was told at the other place. They also said my teeth look perfectly ok whereas the last place said I have terrible teeth. I’ve been in pain for months for the tooth on the opposite side, but because of the mistake of the dentist it caused a whole new issue that was immediately painful and the financial costs have been so stressful as well. Having to not eat on both sides of the mouth is also a pain..

This is a lengthy story but please bear with me. I really need advice on what to do.

I am in the us, 26. I changed my insurance to my work insurance earlier this year as it was far better than the one I was on but obviously more expensive so that’s a downside. I use my insurance app to also look at my claims as I also get notified about when they come through.

With my new insurance, I went to a new dental practice where I wasn’t sure what to expect pricing wise but it’s a private small practice in the area- they do take my insurance however so I wasn’t expecting astronomical prices. I want to point out though every single appointment I’ve had that I only paid for the services received that day. Even then, the prices were off the charts expensive but they kept assuring me that’s with my insurance coverage, but it still felt really fishy considering the really expensive costs.

Only reason I went there was needing an emergency dental appointment so I could be seen for the nerve pain I was experiencing in a tooth months ago this year ;after trying to bite hot food) and this tooth I already got a root canal treatment for it 2x previously.

Mind you the first impression I had of this place was bad as the hygienist said she lost track of time and I ended up waiting around 50 minutes when it wasn’t even busy for her to get me. Then the second time, even though I made sure many times to keep me with the emergency dentist I saw, they gave me someone else I didn’t meet until that day.

I did a full teeth evaluation with a bunch of x rays which didn’t cost me anything. But both the dentist and hygienist said I had massive issues in my teeth where I had a plethora of cavities and how id “definitely” need a tooth extraction because of a molar I didn’t have on my upper tooth which was causing the bottom to have my gums grow partially over it.

Now I’m not a stranger to having many cavities, but I did a cleaning and full teeth eval just a couple months prior at my old dentist where they said I was OK. I know what bad cavities look like since I’ve had many and it seemed she was trying to make it look worse than it was? But I decided to trust because I’m not the dentist and my friend said she had great experiences here.

Again, I originally came for nerve pain in my already root canal done tooth. They took off the crown (which they noted was very bulky) and gave me a better fitting one which I can confirm it did feel like it felt better. But they did start work on the other side of my mouth in the mean time as again they said I had many cavities.

My back tooth was worked on on the opposite side where they said it was a minor cavity but apparently upon looking at it more they said the cavity was very deep. At this moment I was in the chair with many things in my mouth so I couldn’t talk… and when the curing light touched my tooth it ached SO terribly I jumped up from my seat. In my many years of cavities I never ever had that sensation before. At this moment I started panicking but she blamed it on my teeth being sensitive which I didn’t buy.

However she said it’ll feel better when she seals the filling and she did mention she likes to overfill because my small fillings at another appointment with her ached a lot which again I never experienced before but only with her and she mentioned it.

Anyways, I was heavily numbed during this time so I could fully tell if the ache went away but I gave them a thumbs up that it seemed the pulsing ache went away. When I got home though the tooth felt worse and worse and I couldn’t eat. Mind you this tooth did not have ANY pain prior to her touching it so I knew something was awry. I was crying and sobbing at work every day because there was this pulsating nerve pain in my jaw and I left work early to see her again as an emergency. I did say remember the tooth she touched where it ached really bad and she said yes.

Yet she started to shave down other teeth she worked on slightly but that wasn’t the tooth I told her that hurt.and at that time I didn’t know the exact tooth that she hurt, I just knew it was one of the back and I pointed to it as well where she claimed she “never touched the tooth” I pointed at. Which is true, she had not but she did say I have a giant cavity in that tooth and I need a crown on the bottom and top of it without even seeing it. She tapped it and it hurt so she said it was that tooth, yet she wouldn’t work on it even though I was in excruciating pain and said to come in 2 weeks. I obviously couldn’t wait that long and sought a second opinion the next day.

I needed the x rays that were taken from the office, and they gave me a really hard time about it and when the new dentist called them so they can hurry up with sending it to me, the financial person was extremely nasty to me over the phone asking me if I was switching care with a nasty tone and saying how I still need to finish treatment on the tooth they put a new temporary crown in. I did say yeah that’s still the plan but that was also before I got fully evaluated by the new dentist that day. Even after that, they took around 2 hours to send my x rays further delaying my treatment to which they did see exactly which teeth she filled by comparing my x rays, and we did indeed find out the back tooth she worked on was the one that hurt so bad.

The new dentist re did the entire filling in hopes to save it because I was in so much pain and to avoid a root canal, and this was also 2 days after the original office working on it- I waited about a week with no improvement and the pain just being a devil. She then referred me to a endodontist where of course none of the scans were covered by insurance. They confirmed that the filing was touching my nerve and that the shape of my tooth is a C shape, so I guess what happened is that my tooth shape wasn’t considered and when she shot the filling in, it hit my nerve instantly which caused my painful reaction in the chair.

All in all, a new endodontist had to go in and do this root canal over the course of 3 visits and the crown the original place put in actually was also wasted money because my gums were very swollen again and the new dentist I attended told me the crown margin was too high and also food kept getting stuck inside so they were both smashing into my gums causing infection, so I had to get it taken off and another new crown in.

All of these extra appointments I wasn’t expecting and at new practices too as you can imagine have cost me tons of unexpected financial costs especially since I’ve maxed out on the insurance already because I’ve been going to so many visits. When I got my claims in from insurance, it showed me for the appointment I got the original crown in that I should’ve only paid around $300 for but I paid nearly 2K for it.

Then at my emergency appointment that I went to where she didn’t treat me, they said there is no charge today and I kept asking if they were positive and they said absolutely no charge to which I thought it made total sense considering I was coming to them for an issue they caused. Yet later the claim went through and they are asking for almost $250 for a 5 min appointment that wasn’t even solved and I was verbally told I didn’t have to pay for.

I have spoken to many representatives on the phone for hours about this ordeal to which all have agreed that this first practice did me very wrong and I’m obviously rightfully owed my refund. The guy I spoke to first said the practice claimed they wouldn’t refund me until I finished my treatment with them which it was clear I wasn’t going to, but they were clearly trying to not pay me my refund. Additionally, when I spoke to the dentist directly who made the tooth ache she shifted the blame onto stating that she did tell me if this doesn’t improve that I could need a root canal as this does happen. However again, this tooth didn’t hurt at all prior to her touch it. I wasn’t looking for an apology from her but I did want to tell her how frustrated I am, but the lack of accountability was astounding because it was very clear from the x rays taken post treatment that the filling was touching my nerve.

Then the others I spoke to we finally submitted claims so I can get refunded. The 3rd person I spoke to got one claim wrong so I got a letter from my insurance that I’m owed half of a refund because the claim was incorrect and the other claim about me not paying them for the emergency appointment, they Denied me the refund which I’m very upset about so I submitted a 2nd appeal for that and had to make a brand new appeal for the one that was done incorrectly.

Following the mail I got regarding the refund I am owed although it wasn’t the correct claim for one, I was still told that the office has 30 days to refund me or I call my insurance. Yet the next week I got classified mail that I needed to sign for by the dental office where I thought it was my refund but it wasn’t.

It was a letter stating I still need to come in for treatment which they know I’m not coming in for based off how they know how I feel about what happened. I fear this is their way of stating they won’t refund me even though my insurance ordered them to… so I sent this letter documentation to the person I spoke to last as they sent me a email to send my personal statement in regarding this fiasco to help my case and I also stated I am not comfortable speaking to the office and how I find this odd to send considering they are still supposed to give me a refund. I have yet to hear back so I’m going to give it one more week since it’s Fourth of July weekend now… but should I not hear back should I just wait until I hear from the new appeals that were made on the decisions on those or just call a new representative from the insurance?

Even if I was going back to finish treatment (which I’m not) it doesn’t change the fact that I’m owed my refund for what I was overcharged for since I only paid for services they’ve done so far. Mind you all of them were terrible since they all ached or went wrong where I had to get them fixed by new dentists and this whole thing has been so so stressful.

Also, the new dental practice says it’s really extreme to even consider extraction and that it seems I do have cavities but it’s far less than what I was told at the other place. They also said my teeth look perfectly ok whereas the last place said I have terrible teeth. I’ve been in pain for months for the tooth on the opposite side, but because of the mistake of the dentist it caused a whole new issue that was immediately painful and the financial costs have been so stressful as well. Having to not eat on both sides of the mouth is also a pain..

TL;DR:

I switched to my work dental insurance this year and went to a new in-network private dental office for an emergency visit due to pain in a previously root-canaled tooth. They assured me my expensive out-of-pocket costs were correct with my insurance, so I trusted them.

During treatment they claimed I had many cavities and even recommended an extraction that multiple dentists have since said I don’t need. While filling a tooth that had never hurt before, I experienced severe pain when the curing light touched it. The dentist dismissed it as “sensitive teeth.” After the numbness wore off, I developed excruciating nerve pain and couldn’t eat.

I returned for an emergency visit, but they didn’t treat the correct tooth and told me there would be no charge for the visit. The next day I got a second opinion. The new dentist confirmed it was the tooth the first dentist filled, redid the filling, and an endodontist later confirmed the filling had irritated my nerve due to my tooth’s unusual anatomy. I ultimately needed a root canal that likely could have been avoided.

The crown the original office placed also failed because it was poorly fitted, causing gum inflammation and food impaction, so another dentist had to replace that too.

On top of the physical pain, I’ve spent thousands of dollars unexpectedly. My insurance later showed I was overcharged by nearly $2,000 for taking off a crown I already had on and then putting a new one in (I should have owed around $300 only), and I was later billed almost $250 for the 5-minute emergency visit that I was explicitly told would be free.

I’ve spent hours with my insurance. They agreed I was overcharged, but one appeal was filed incorrectly and another was denied, so both had to be appealed again. My insurance instructed the dental office to issue a refund within 30 days, but instead of sending a refund, the office mailed me a certified letter that I needed to sign in order to get telling me to come back for treatment—even though they know I transferred my care elsewhere.

I’m waiting on the new appeals. If I don’t hear back soon, should I call my insurance again, or wait for the appeal decisions? Has anyone dealt with a provider refusing to refund an overpayment after insurance determined one was owed?

Hi all, any and all advice is welcome honestly!

For context; • 26, in us • still trying to figure out what I’d like to do in my long term career so I’m still early in my career • currently employed but job is not good for many reasons • also hate where I live and have a strong desire to move to a new area but don’t know where
• because of the terrible job market, I am wondering if I should get a certification in something to help my chances with a future role

I am currently employed at a company since last year, so I haven’t been there long. However this role is a big career change for me as it’s not related to what I graduated college with (media production / film / communications / cinematography degrees)

Only took this job because I was unemployed for a year and needed income although I still live at home with parents after being laid off from my last job. It’s nice to live at home, but it’s also suffocating in many ways as they are over protective and over bearing. We fight often and it’s just that time to have some more independence since I am 26 but I am still grateful to be living with them and saving funds that could’ve been spent on rent.

I have a very complicated relationship with my hometown as well and it’s extremely hard for me to be back living here because I have bad memories (ptsd/truama) associated with where I live and grew up. I know this will not always be the case, but it does add an immense amount of stress and sorrow to my mental health.

My current job presents issues: started last year but haven’t been properly trained at all since then, and the job may not be the most difficult because of that but I am constantly exposed to very toxic chemicals because I work in a lab and also am commonly exposed to x rays because I work with them too with an inadequate amount of PPE protection against the rays / the chemicals. I have an autoimmune disease and have to be careful especially with things like this because of it as well as I’m already sensitive to things than most people.

I don’t make much ($26 an hour) and a lot of my money goes towards insurance costs, so that’s even less money I get. There are certain things I can do at my job now which is great, but not enough where I can move to another company because I truly have no background in the field and I haven’t been properly trained at all like I was promised to be because my manager is terrible.

The job is also an hour away from home so it takes really long to commute and I work 10 hour days. I am trying to stay at this job until I can find something else but also the risks associated make me worried. I do need some kind of income though so it’s a stressful time, I also lost my therapy because the hours of my job didn’t provide me a pocket of time to do them anymore. This job is not ideal and I’m wondering if I need to pivot and get a certification in something so it can better my chances at getting another role… but I also need longevity on my resume so I can have more experience on paper rather than just jumping from seasonal positions.

My ideal job would be a 8 hour day so I’d be able to attend doctors when needed and I’d be okay with working in a new environment or even doing what I graduated college with, but I feel quite lost and I’m worried I’ll hit 30 and still not have a clue what I want to do and be stuck at this job where it poses risks. I’d love to move To a new place and just have a fresh start but I don’t have a clue how I can do that. Feeling so lost!

Hi all, any and all advice is welcome honestly!

For context; • 26, in us • still trying to figure out what I’d like to do in my long term career so I’m still early in my career • currently employed but job is not good for many reasons • also hate where I live and have a strong desire to move to a new area but don’t know where
• because of the terrible job market, I am wondering if I should get a certification in something to help my chances with a future role

I am currently employed at a company since last year, so I haven’t been there long. However this role is a big career change for me as it’s not related to what I graduated college with (media production / film / communications / cinematography degrees)

Only took this job because I was unemployed for a year and needed income although I still live at home with parents after being laid off from my last job. It’s nice to live at home, but it’s also suffocating in many ways as they are over protective and over bearing. We fight often and it’s just that time to have some more independence since I am 26 but I am still grateful to be living with them and saving funds that could’ve been spent on rent.

I have a very complicated relationship with my hometown as well and it’s extremely hard for me to be back living here because I have bad memories (ptsd/truama) associated with where I live and grew up. I know this will not always be the case, but it does add an immense amount of stress and sorrow to my mental health.

My current job presents issues: started last year but haven’t been properly trained at all since then, and the job may not be the most difficult because of that but I am constantly exposed to very toxic chemicals because I work in a lab and also am commonly exposed to x rays because I work with them too with an inadequate amount of PPE protection against the rays / the chemicals. I have an autoimmune disease and have to be careful especially with things like this because of it as well as I’m already sensitive to things than most people.

I don’t make much ($26 an hour) and a lot of my money goes towards insurance costs, so that’s even less money I get. There are certain things I can do at my job now which is great, but not enough where I can move to another company because I truly have no background in the field and I haven’t been properly trained at all like I was promised to be because my manager is terrible.

The job is also an hour away from home so it takes really long to commute and I work 10 hour days. I am trying to stay at this job until I can find something else but also the risks associated make me worried. I do need some kind of income though so it’s a stressful time, I also lost my therapy because the hours of my job didn’t provide me a pocket of time to do them anymore. This job is not ideal and I’m wondering if I need to pivot and get a certification in something so it can better my chances at getting another role… but I also need longevity on my resume so I can have more experience on paper rather than just jumping from seasonal positions.

My ideal job would be a 8 hour day so I’d be able to attend doctors when needed and I’d be okay with working in a new environment or even doing what I graduated college with, but I feel quite lost and I’m worried I’ll hit 30 and still not have a clue what I want to do and be stuck at this job where it poses risks. I’d love to move To a new place and just have a fresh start but I don’t have a clue how I can do that. Feeling so lost!

Hi all, any and all advice is welcome honestly!

For context; • 26, in us • still trying to figure out what I’d like to do in my long term career so I’m still early in my career • currently employed but job is not good for many reasons • also hate where I live and have a strong desire to move to a new area but don’t know where
• because of the terrible job market, I am wondering if I should get a certification in something to help my chances with a future role

I am currently employed at a company since last year, so I haven’t been there long. However this role is a big career change for me as it’s not related to what I graduated college with (media production / film / communications / cinematography degrees)

Only took this job because I was unemployed for a year and needed income although I still live at home with parents after being laid off from my last job. It’s nice to live at home, but it’s also suffocating in many ways as they are over protective and over bearing. We fight often and it’s just that time to have some more independence since I am 26 but I am still grateful to be living with them and saving funds that could’ve been spent on rent.

I have a very complicated relationship with my hometown as well and it’s extremely hard for me to be back living here because I have bad memories (ptsd/truama) associated with where I live and grew up. I know this will not always be the case, but it does add an immense amount of stress and sorrow to my mental health.

My current job presents issues: started last year but haven’t been properly trained at all since then, and the job may not be the most difficult because of that but I am constantly exposed to very toxic chemicals because I work in a lab and also am commonly exposed to x rays because I work with them too with an inadequate amount of PPE protection against the rays / the chemicals. I have an autoimmune disease and have to be careful especially with things like this because of it as well as I’m already sensitive to things than most people.

I don’t make much ($26 an hour) and a lot of my money goes towards insurance costs, so that’s even less money I get. There are certain things I can do at my job now which is great, but not enough where I can move to another company because I truly have no background in the field and I haven’t been properly trained at all like I was promised to be because my manager is terrible.

The job is also an hour away from home so it takes really long to commute and I work 10 hour days. I am trying to stay at this job until I can find something else but also the risks associated make me worried. I do need some kind of income though so it’s a stressful time, I also lost my therapy because the hours of my job didn’t provide me a pocket of time to do them anymore. This job is not ideal and I’m wondering if I need to pivot and get a certification in something so it can better my chances at getting another role… but I also need longevity on my resume so I can have more experience on paper rather than just jumping from seasonal positions.

My ideal job would be a 8 hour day so I’d be able to attend doctors when needed and I’d be okay with working in a new environment or even doing what I graduated college with, but I feel quite lost and I’m worried I’ll hit 30 and still not have a clue what I want to do and be stuck at this job where it poses risks. I’d love to move To a new place and just have a fresh start but I don’t have a clue how I can do that. Feeling so lost!

Hi all, any and all advice is welcome honestly!

For context; • 26, in us • still trying to figure out what I’d like to do in my long term career so I’m still early in my career • currently employed but job is not good for many reasons • also hate where I live and have a strong desire to move to a new area but don’t know where
• because of the terrible job market, I am wondering if I should get a certification in something to help my chances with a future role

I am currently employed at a company since last year, so I haven’t been there long. However this role is a big career change for me as it’s not related to what I graduated college with (media production / film / communications / cinematography degrees)

Only took this job because I was unemployed for a year and needed income although I still live at home with parents after being laid off from my last job. It’s nice to live at home, but it’s also suffocating in many ways as they are over protective and over bearing. We fight often and it’s just that time to have some more independence since I am 26 but I am still grateful to be living with them and saving funds that could’ve been spent on rent.

I have a very complicated relationship with my hometown as well and it’s extremely hard for me to be back living here because I have bad memories (ptsd/truama) associated with where I live and grew up. I know this will not always be the case, but it does add an immense amount of stress and sorrow to my mental health.

My current job presents issues: started last year but haven’t been properly trained at all since then, and the job may not be the most difficult because of that but I am constantly exposed to very toxic chemicals because I work in a lab and also am commonly exposed to x rays because I work with them too with an inadequate amount of PPE protection against the rays / the chemicals. I have an autoimmune disease and have to be careful especially with things like this because of it as well as I’m already sensitive to things than most people.

I don’t make much ($26 an hour) and a lot of my money goes towards insurance costs, so that’s even less money I get. There are certain things I can do at my job now which is great, but not enough where I can move to another company because I truly have no background in the field and I haven’t been properly trained at all like I was promised to be because my manager is terrible.

The job is also an hour away from home so it takes really long to commute and I work 10 hour days. I am trying to stay at this job until I can find something else but also the risks associated make me worried. I do need some kind of income though so it’s a stressful time, I also lost my therapy because the hours of my job didn’t provide me a pocket of time to do them anymore. This job is not ideal and I’m wondering if I need to pivot and get a certification in something so it can better my chances at getting another role… but I also need longevity on my resume so I can have more experience on paper rather than just jumping from seasonal positions.

My ideal job would be a 8 hour day so I’d be able to attend doctors when needed and I’d be okay with working in a new environment or even doing what I graduated college with, but I feel quite lost and I’m worried I’ll hit 30 and still not have a clue what I want to do and be stuck at this job where it poses risks. I’d love to move To a new place and just have a fresh start but I don’t have a clue how I can do that. Feeling so lost!

Female mid 20s here! Guy I’m speaking to is also the same age.

I haven’t really had much success with dating on the apps as I prefer meeting someone organically in “real life” if you will like at a coffee shop, maybe in college etc. you get the idea.

Plus my last hinge date I had was absolutely terrible. It confused me because we texted for a week and it was great, but then we met and he was an asshole. He did offer to walk me back to my car at the end and to text me later but he was so terrible that I blocked him and didn’t bother.

This new guy I’ve been texting to for about 3 weeks (he was busy then I was busy) and on weekdays It’s kind of hard to meet due to my intense work schedule. That aside, he was very happy to just text anyways and he seems sweet overall.

He asked when I’d be free to meet and I said maybe the 6th, but it wasn’t a for sure and he never followed up about it although we kept texting. Yes, you could argue that I could’ve let him know yes or no if I was free but I wanted to see if he’d take notice I didn’t say anything and see if he take any initiative. It’s not to play games but it’s such a pet peeve of mine if I am the one planning everything from personal experience.

I got really sick unfortunately couldn’t meet him but I did offer up FaceTime if he’s up for it. Although I did say I know we didn’t pick a specific day but I need to reschedule anyways, he said he thought he asked me out directly but it could’ve been a miscommunication - which I pointed out and he seemed kind about it.

He was very eager and said he also can’t wait to take me out when I feel better which made me think this is all good signs, and mostly we have just discussed small things we like and how work went which is fine to me, and he said we can set up a day to face time this week which I thought was great; but he never followed up with what day or time at all - even with now the weekend being over. Last thing that was said was him saying he also had to stay late at work but it didn’t really prompt a response so I hearted the message.

What I’m confused about is- is he just wanting a pen pal or actually interested? The way he texts, he does seem interested to meet but I feel if he was truly into seeing me or doing the video chat he could’ve texted me again or tried to set an actual date / time…

Should I just not bother to try to see how this goes? I get he’d lose interest since we’ve only texted, but it does seem mixed signals because he seems to be so eager, but then doesn’t set a specific day to meet like the first time and then again with this video chat.

I’m feeling really torn between staying at my current job and pursuing a new opportunity, and I’d appreciate some outside perspectives.

In the us- I’m 26 and aged out of my parents health insurance, so having good employer provided insurance is a major factor for me. I have ongoing medical check up’s and regular doctor appointments, so benefits matter a lot. I have an autoimmune disease which also contributes to other issues so I constantly go to the doctor. With my current job I’ve tried to plan around my days off like on the weekend or when we have a day off once in a while as a perk at my current job. I’ve now been here for nearly 7 months but don’t get much training at all, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing since my work days aren’t too stressful here, And with my brother having a high position I feel like I have a easier time.

Right now I work nearly 10 hr shifts and make $26 an hour. The downside is that my commute is about an hour each way + I have concerns about the chemicals I’m exposed to because I work in a lab, and also the lack of precautions in place for working next to a x ray machine and chemicals ++ the role is in a field that doesn’t really match my background or long term interests. I only took it because I needed a job desperately and my brother who works here told me about the opening. Although if I take this new job, it would be new as well since I’ve never worked in a hospital setting but I do have great customer service skills from previous jobs.

My dad connected me with someone who works at a major hospital who now has connected me to someone who wants to interview me for an Associate position on their team. The location would be about 30 minutes closer to home than my current job and the benefits are supposed to be good. However, I found out that this position is also 10 hour shifts And the issue is that 10 hour shifts are already difficult for me. Between commuting, work, doctor appointments, errands, and trying to maintain a manageable personal life in between my hectic doctor appts, I feel like I have very little personal time during the week.

This isn’t me saying I don’t want to work, as I currently work full time and am happy to, but a 10 hour work day I’ve noticed is quite difficult. It’s not a hybrid position as well. At a previous job I worked 8 hours full time and that was far more manageable to handle. And again the chemical exposure and the x ray exposure is the most pressing concern, and even my doctors noted I should try to find a different job due to this and it impacting my autoimmune condition.

I was originally interested because I had applied to other Associate positions within the same hospital that were a lot closer to home and had shorter hours, but those positions aren’t under the facility that I am being considered for with this new interview.

I haven’t interviewed yet, and I don’t even know what the pay would be which bothered me because the posted range is very broad and I’m worried about taking a pay cut when I’m already not making a lot.

I have asked to do a virtual interview because I’m working full time now, but they are saying they prefer in person so I’ll probably have to make an excuse to take a couple hours. Would you still pursue the interview and see what happens, or would the schedule concerns be a red flag for you? Has anyone taken a job mainly because of better benefits and insurance and was it worth it? Even with the better insurance, it seems it would be hard for me to attend my appointments. Or maybe I should just take this role if I get it and try to transition into another role later that has better hours?

I’m feeling really torn between staying at my current job and pursuing a new opportunity, and I’d appreciate some outside perspectives.

In the us- I’m 26 and aged out of my parents health insurance, so having good employer provided insurance is a major factor for me. I have ongoing medical check up’s and regular doctor appointments, so benefits matter a lot. I have an autoimmune disease which also contributes to other issues so I constantly go to the doctor. With my current job I’ve tried to plan around my days off like on the weekend or when we have a day off once in a while as a perk at my current job. I’ve now been here for nearly 7 months but don’t get much training at all, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing since my work days aren’t too stressful here, And with my brother having a high position I feel like I have a easier time.

Right now I work nearly 10 hr shifts and make $26 an hour. The downside is that my commute is about an hour each way + I have concerns about the chemicals I’m exposed to because I work in a lab, and also the lack of precautions in place for working next to a x ray machine and chemicals ++ the role is in a field that doesn’t really match my background or long term interests. I only took it because I needed a job desperately and my brother who works here told me about the opening. Although if I take this new job, it would be new as well since I’ve never worked in a hospital setting but I do have great customer service skills from previous jobs.

My dad connected me with someone who works at a major hospital who now has connected me to someone who wants to interview me for an Associate position on their team. The location would be about 30 minutes closer to home than my current job and the benefits are supposed to be good. However, I found out that this position is also 10 hour shifts And the issue is that 10 hour shifts are already difficult for me. Between commuting, work, doctor appointments, errands, and trying to maintain a manageable personal life in between my hectic doctor appts, I feel like I have very little personal time during the week.

This isn’t me saying I don’t want to work, as I currently work full time and am happy to, but a 10 hour work day I’ve noticed is quite difficult. It’s not a hybrid position as well. At a previous job I worked 8 hours full time and that was far more manageable to handle. And again the chemical exposure and the x ray exposure is the most pressing concern, and even my doctors noted I should try to find a different job due to this and it impacting my autoimmune condition.

I was originally interested because I had applied to other Associate positions within the same hospital that were a lot closer to home and had shorter hours, but those positions aren’t under the facility that I am being considered for with this new interview.

I haven’t interviewed yet, and I don’t even know what the pay would be which bothered me because the posted range is very broad and I’m worried about taking a pay cut when I’m already not making a lot.

I have asked to do a virtual interview because I’m working full time now, but they are saying they prefer in person so I’ll probably have to make an excuse to take a couple hours. Would you still pursue the interview and see what happens, or would the schedule concerns be a red flag for you? Has anyone taken a job mainly because of better benefits and insurance and was it worth it? Even with the better insurance, it seems it would be hard for me to attend my appointments. Or maybe I should just take this role if I get it and try to transition into another role later that has better hours?

I’m feeling really torn between staying at my current job and pursuing a new opportunity, and I’d appreciate some outside perspectives.

In the us- I’m 26 and aged out of my parents health insurance, so having good employer provided insurance is a major factor for me. I have ongoing medical check up’s and regular doctor appointments, so benefits matter a lot. I have an autoimmune disease which also contributes to other issues so I constantly go to the doctor. With my current job I’ve tried to plan around my days off like on the weekend or when we have a day off once in a while as a perk at my current job.

Right now I work nearly 10 hr shifts and make $26 an hour. The downside is that my commute is about an hour each way + I have concerns about the chemicals I’m exposed to because I work in a lab, and also the lack of precautions in place for working next to a x ray machine and chemicals ++ the role is in a field that doesn’t really match my background or long term interests. I only took it because I needed a job desperately and my brother who works here told me about the opening. Although if I take this new job, it would be new as well since I’ve never worked in a hospital setting but I do have great customer service skills from previous jobs.

My dad connected me with someone who works at a major hospital who now has connected me to someone who wants to interview me for an Associate position on their team. The location would be about 30 minutes closer to home than my current job and the benefits are supposed to be good. However, I found out that this position is also 10 hour shifts And the issue is that 10 hour shifts are already difficult for me. Between commuting, work, doctor appointments, errands, and trying to maintain a manageable personal life in between my hectic doctor appts, I feel like I have very little personal time during the week.

This isn’t me saying I don’t want to work, as I currently work full time and am happy to, but a 10 hour work day I’ve noticed is quite difficult. It’s not a hybrid position as well. At a previous job I worked 8 hours full time and that was far more manageable to handle. And again the chemical exposure and the x ray exposure is the most pressing concern, and even my doctors noted I should try to find a different job due to this and it impacting my autoimmune condition.

I was originally interested because I had applied to other Associate positions within the same hospital that were a lot closer to home and had shorter hours, but those positions aren’t under the facility that I am being considered for with this new interview.

I haven’t interviewed yet, and I don’t even know what the pay would be which bothered me because the posted range is very broad and I’m worried about taking a pay cut when I’m already not making a lot.

I have asked to do a virtual interview because I’m working full time now, but they are saying they prefer in person so I’ll probably have to make an excuse to take a couple hours. Would you still pursue the interview and see what happens, or would the schedule concerns be a red flag for you? Has anyone taken a job mainly because of better benefits and insurance and was it worth it? Even with the better insurance, it seems it would be hard for me to attend my appointments. Or maybe I should just take this role if I get it and try to transition into another role later that has better hours?

I am in my mid 20s female, I have been on two hinge dates ever and both went very poorly. I’m really not a fan of meeting strangers from an app but given how hard it is to meet new people and how it’s worked out for some friends of mine I am trying to give hinge another shot. The last hinge date I went on was before the year ended in 2025, but it was so bizarre because over text he was very sweet and in person he was an asshole.

Another issue is that I have had to move back home after being laid off, so that means things go by my parents rules (they are strict and think really traditionally). I am also the youngest and they haven’t met my previous boyfriends except one years ago while my dad being very overbearing. Because of this, I resort to having to lie about who I see if I go on a date, and up until last year they’d ask me to send friends numbers of people they don’t know for safety reasons which have since stopped but still.

Also with a previous really serious boyfriend, he’d have private conversations with him and made me exit the room. I’m sure my dads trying to look out for me and I love him for it but he is so over bearing it’s just too much and I know what to look out for and what not to on my own.

I know for a fact if I told them I was going on a hinge date potentially next week, they’d flip out and my dad would ask a million things and give me bad advice if I’m being frank. My siblings know that I’m doing this but it does worry me.

My dad tries to encourage me to go on the apps, but i know for a fact if he actually knew I was going on one, he would go as far as wanting his number and trying to track my whereabouts. As much as I love him I am 26.

How would I go about getting better at dating in general and just trying to be more open to going on dates / online dating?

I am in my mid 20s female, I have been on two hinge dates ever and both went very poorly. I’m really not a fan of meeting strangers from an app but given how hard it is to meet new people and how it’s worked out for some friends of mine I am trying to give hinge another shot. The last hinge date I went on was before the year ended in 2025, but it was so bizarre because over text he was very sweet and in person he was an asshole.

Another issue is that I have had to move back home after being laid off, so that means things go by my parents rules (they are strict and think really traditionally). I am also the youngest and they haven’t met my previous boyfriends except one years ago while my dad being very overbearing. Because of this, I resort to having to lie about who I see if I go on a date, and up until last year they’d ask me to send friends numbers of people they don’t know for safety reasons which have since stopped but still.

I know for a fact if I told them I was going on a hinge date potentially next week, they’d flip out and my dad would ask a million things and give me bad advice if I’m being frank. My siblings know that I’m doing this but it does worry me.

My dad tries to encourage me to go on the apps, but i know for a fact if he actually knew I was going on one, he would go as far as wanting his number and trying to track my whereabouts. As much as I love him I am 26.

How would I go about getting better at dating in general and just trying to be more open to going on dates / online dating?