Was my dentist ethically right to do this?..Is this illegal?

My dental coverage will end in two months when I turn 21.The only work I have left is a full mouth debridement and a crown has to be put in on top of my root canal.I was also told that I need a night guard like yesterday! It takes four weeks for my insurance to approve all of this.After my dentist already performed the root canal..she informs me that my insurance has a habit of purposelly postponing approval on dental patients that don't have much coverage left(I only have two months..so they'll wait two months to approve it/when it only takes four weeks)She says I need the crown,but if they play this game I'll end up having to pay for it .Was it right for her to perform the root canal when she knew I wouldn't be able to get the crown?Is it legal for my insurance to do this to patients?

Was my dentist ethically right to do this?..Is this illegal?
As far as I know, if you had the coverage when the procedure was done, then they have to pay. As far as your insurance comp goes, I would just call them constantly and demand to speak with a manager, and explain the situation, etc. Just remember though, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure your insurance payment gets to your dentist. I work at an OBGYN clinic, and alot of patients mistakenly think because we courteously file their insurance, that we are responsible for making sure we get their payment, when that's not the case. I would just give the ins comp a hard time until they paid, and if not, just make payments to the dentist. Tell her that she'll just have to deal with it since she knew about the problem with your ins.
Reply:Your dentist serves you, not the insurance company. She is ethically obligated to provide you with the services YOU need and/or require. She cares about you, her patient, and doesn't have to (and shouldn't in my opinion), be subservient to the insurance company. Who cares about your dental health more, your dentist or your insurance company? The insurance company will only do what is in their best interest, not yours. You had a choice when you had an infected tooth, either have root canal therapy and a subsequent crown to retain your natural tooth, or, you could have the tooth extracted. I think you made the right choice. Yes, having it extracted would have cost you far less money it would seem. But then, what would you do with the hole in your mouth? Implant?, bridge? We're talking big bucks now. I think it would be very difficult for your insurance company to deny the claim, if you're covered, premiums have been paid, and they cover root canals, how could they deny it? I think your dentist did the right thing by treating you, her patient in need.
Reply:I think it is disgusting that the insurance company would do that. Good to know for future reference. It would have been nice for the dentist to inform you ahead of time (especially if she knew about your insurance situation ahead of time), but at the same time, if the root canal had to be done right away, it had to be done.
Reply:it's all the insurance.
Reply:Oh, I'm not sure about that... you should talk to a lawyer.


Good luck!