The Corner Penthouse

I've already written about all of the dental woes I've had because dentists will usually stop accepting my insurance (Medicaid) after a few years, and then I'd have to find a new dentist. The latest variation on that was last year, when the insurance company (Aetna) forced a change in dental plan to one that my dentist did not accept. Due to that, I left Aetna and signed up for United Healthcare. Well, United Healthcare deceived me when I signed up last December with an outdated dental provider search - and representatives who lied to me - so that it seemed like my dentist accepted my soon-to-be plan, when they didn't. Let's take a look at how I'm getting screwed over yet again...

As of January 1st, I have been a member of United Healthcare (UHC) with one of their Dual Complete plans for people who have both U.S. Medicare and N.Y. Medicaid (aka "poor people's insurance"). In early December 2024, I found United Healthcare's UHC Dual Complete NY-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP) (H3387-014-002) plan. EIGHT dentists at The Smilist were listed on the UHC dental search website that was linked to on the plan page listed above. You can confirm this yourself right now by going to UHCMedicareDentistSearch.com, checking "National Unitedhealthcare Dual Complete Network", selecting Location, then entering "17 West Merrick Road, Valley Stream, NY 11580".


When my care coordinator and I called up UHC to sign up for this plan on December 5, 2024 at 2:15pm Eastern, we first spoke to UHC rep Renzy Bates, and then we were transferred to UHC rep Nancy Barbeta to complete the sign up. Since the only reason I was signing up with UHC was to be able to continue going to The Smilist, we asked both Renzy and Nancy if The Smilist accepted the plan that I was signing up for. BOTH UHC REPS SAID "YES". (Although I did not record this conversation, my care coordinator was on the line with me the whole time and bore witness to what the UHC reps said.)

With confirmation from the UHC reps, as well as eight dentists listed in the online provider search, I had no reason for concern. I happily signed up for United Healthcare without giving it a second thought.

I went to The Smilist's Valley Stream, NY office on March 12, 2025 at 12:00pm for my scheduled cleaning appointment. I gave the front desk employee my new United Healthcare card. She took one look at it and said, "We don't accept this". I told her that according to the United Healthcare (UHC) dental providers website, there are EIGHT dentists in this office that accept my plan. I pulled out a print-out to show her, but WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE LIST, she said that all of them are no longer with the Valley Stream office. I find it hard to believe that Paul Lanza, Sarah Dienstag, Yigit Gol, So Eun Park, Maxime Gregoire, Grace Oconnor, Neha Khan, and Paul Natter are ALL no longer with the Valley Stream office. Is the Valley Stream office *THAT* bad that EIGHT dentists all left en masse?!?

Of course, as I look at The Smilist's own website, I see that SHE WAS FLAT-OUT LYING TO MY FACE! Yigit Gol, So Eun Park, Neha Khan, and Paul Natter are ALL listed on The Smilist's website, on two different pages!


Of course, just because she lied about the dentists, doesn't mean that she was lying about The Smilist not accepting my UHC plan. I now believe that the UHC dental search website at UHCMedicareDentistSearch.com (which redirects to https://dentalsearch.yourdentalplan.com/providersearch - but I can't link directly to that page) is OUTDATED! That it even lists four dentists that aren't at The Smilist's Valley Stream office anymore tells me that it's an outdated site. Yet, UHC is STILL linking to this outdated provider search on the page for my plan, and possibly other plans. UHC already deceived me into signing up for their plan because of this back in December 2024. That UHC hasn't taken this outdated search down means that they are continuing to deceive people. That is not right.

So, at this point I was deceived/lied to by UHC twice:

* UHC LIE #1 - The UHC website for the plan (url previously noted) is linked to a UHC dental search that shows *eight* dentists at The Smilist that accept the plan I was signing up for, but that information is outdated. As I would later learn, four of those dentists aren't even at The Smilist's Valley Stream office anymore.

* UHC LIE #2 - UHC reps Renzy Bates and Nancy Barbeta told me that The Smilist accepted the plan I was signing up for, but that was not true.

Had I known that I was being lied to, and deceived, by UHC (the reps and the website), I would not have signed up for UHC.

UHC doesn't make it easy to find the real up-to-date Dental Provider search. When you log into your account on the UHC website, if you click on "Find Care" from the top navigator bar, and then select "Dental Care", you will be taken to a page on which you will see the message: "Dental provider search is not available online. Call the number on your member ID card to find an in-network dental provider." Talk about absolutely useless.


After learning that I would *NOT* be able to continue to go to The Smilist, I called two different UHC phone lines, both of which are listed on the back of my member card: the Main Member Line at 1-800-514-4912 and the "UHC Dental Customer Service Line" at 1-844-275-8750. (The latter is really meant for dental professionals to call, but if you press "0" when prompted for Tax ID and MPI numbers, you can talk to a representative.) On March 14, 2025 at 11:10 AM, I spoke to Vladimir at the Dental line who, long story short, sent me a list of dentists in MICHIGAN! Shouldn't he have already had my correct address, including my correct state, in his system? A few hours later, at 3:30 PM, I called the Dental line again and spoke to Malise (that sounds like the name she said). She found Sarah Dienstag at The Smilist in Valley Stream, NY in her dental provider search. I already knew this was INCORRECT. Why don't UHC reps have up-to-date information? Finally, at 4:35 PM I called the Member Services line and spoke to Iris. She found what seems to be a current dental provider search. I was surprised that the Member rep, and not either of the two Dental reps, was the one to have done the best job with a dental provider search. The good news is that I actually found where UHC hid the current dental provider search.

While this should be listed on the member site, instead of the incorrect "dental provider search is not available online" message, you actually need to go to the Member Login page at member.uhc.com/myuhc - but DON'T LOG-IN! Instead, look for the "Find A Dentist" link (toothbrush icon) in the middle of the page. It points to the WeRally site (https://connect.werally.com/plan/uhc/375) but you can't access that page directly, as it wants a referrer from UHC.com in order to allow access. I found this UHC Member Login page because it is a redirect from YourDentalPlan.com, which was the return address on the list of Michigan dentists I got from one of the UHC reps. So, at least that e-mail wasn't entirely useless :-)

The real, current UHC dentist search only shows five dentists in Valley Stream - and they all seem to be the same ones that I would have been forced to go to if I stuck with Aetna and the Liberty Dental Plan they started using in 2025. I called and researched all of these dentists, and many more, back in 2014, then in 2022 when I signed up for Aetna, and now again in 2025. I have a running hand-written list of information that shows that there are NO LOCAL DENTISTS THAT DO GAS AND ACCEPT MY UHC PLAN! Well, technically, there is one, and they were all over Iris's list: a pediatric dental office who refuses to see me since I am not a kid! I feel like that's age discrimination.

I had to do an awful lot of detective work in order to find UHC's UP-TO-DATE Dental Provider search. No UHC member should have to go through this. The older 65+ crowd that plans like mine are usually targeted to wouldn't even be tech savvy enough to figure this out. This WeRally.com dental provider search should have been easily available from the member site instead of that stupid message. I can not stress that enough.

Anyway, because United Healthcare is fucking me over by preventing me from continuing to be seen at The Smilist - you know, the dental office that I signed up with UHC specifically so that I could continue going to - I have to, for the MILLIONTH time in the past 30 years, find another new dentist. Specifically, I have the burden of trying to find the impossible: a dentist in walking distance that accepts my UHC plan and provides Nitrous Oxide gas.

The kick-in-the-ass about this whole thing is that the reason I switched from straight Medicaid to Aetna, and then to UHC, is for the dental. Back in 2022, there were NO dentists in Valley Stream that accepted straight Medicaid. At the time, I had cavities that needed to be filled for OVER A YEAR, but the dentist in the next town could not do the work because of my anxiety and sensitive gag reflex; and they didn't provide gas. I thought that if I signed up with a "name brand" insurance company, all of my dental woes would be over. That I would be able to see nearly any dentist in the area. Now with UHC, I'm almost as badly off as when I was on straight Medicaid. It seems like there was no benefit to leaving Aetna, and both dental plans seem to have the same dental providers in their networks.

[UPDATE - 3/26/2025]
Without getting any real help from the low-level UHC reps to help me get out of the situation that UHC put me in when I was TWICE lied to/deceived about The Smilist when I signed up, I looked to see what other options I had. I noticed that my plan has out-of-network dental coverage. Since Henner Dental Associates (247 Rockaway Avenue in Valley Stream) does the gas, and they are the closest to my house - I pass by them every day - I figured that would be the best bet. After all, Henner checks two of the boxes. The only issue is that UHC needs to agree to pay them 100% for all routine services now and forever.

On March 17, 2025 at 9:30 AM, before I went to my cleaning appointment at Henner's office, I called the UHC Dental Provider Customer Service and spoke to UHC rep Chelsea. To be completely assured that I wouldn't have to pay anything for the cleaning, I - TWICE! - asked her to confirm that UHC would pay 100% to an out-of-network dentist for a cleaning. Both times, she responded with, "Correct". "100%" means that UHC would pay 100% of what Henner bills. There is no other reasonable expectation for what "100%" would mean.

After speaking to Chelsea, I called up the Main Member Line to get additional confirmation that UHC would pay 100% to an out-of-network dentist for a basic cleaning. I spoke to Marco, who kept saying that my plan did NOT have out-of-network coverage, and kept reiterating that it was a HMO plan. I kept trying to tell him that the Evidence of Coverage document, which is the "Bible" for the plan, clearly says otherwise; and that according to that document, the dental part of my plan is POS (Point of Service), not HMO. Not matter how many times I tried to correct him, Marco refused to realize that he was wrong. Seeing that I was getting nowhere with him, I hung up. It's really sad when members know more than UHC reps.

On March 17th, I went to Henner Dental Associates for a basic cleaning, which Henner charges $175 for. If UHC Dental rep Chelsea, whom I spoke to just an hour before going to the appointment, was correct - that UHC would pay 100% for a cleaning at an out-of-network dentist - then I shouldn't have to pay anything.

It awaits to be seen if UHC will pay 100% of the $175, some of the $175, or none of the $175. If UHC pays all of it, then I will go back for X-rays and an exam, and possible fillings with gas - all of which I hope UHC will pay for 100%. If UHC pays some or none of the $175 cleaning, then I will not be able to see Henner regularly. That means that I will have to do the impossible: Find a dentist that accepts this UHC plan, does Nitrous Oxide gas, and is easy for me to walk/travel to.

In an effort to get United Healthcare to help me with the situation they put me in, I did the same thing I had to do with Aetna: contact an executive, knowing that instead of hearing back from them personally, I would be put in contact with a high-level support rep. That's certainly better than dealing with low-level reps who don't even know as much as *I* do about my plan!

On March 24th, I sent a detailed e-mail to Tim Noel (timothy_j_noel@uhc.com) and Andrew Witty (andrew.witty@uhg.com), the CEOs of United Healthcare and parent company United Health Group, respectively. The next day, I received a reply from Tischa, the Executive Consultant of the Consumer Affairs department (uhg_consumer_affairs@uhg.com).

Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:48:26 +0000
Subject: Your Complaint with UHC
From: UHG Consumer Affairs (uhg_consumer_affairs@uhg.com)
To: Paul

Dear Paul,

I am writing today to confirm receipt of your email correspondence you recently sent to Andrew Witty and Tim Noel. Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. I want to assure you we are researching the details of your inquiry. We will follow-up with an update on 3/26/25 or before if research is completed.

If you have any questions for me in the meantime, you can call me at (800) 842-2656 extension 608972.

Sincerely,
Tischa
Executive Consultant, Consumer Affairs

I am very happy to have Tischa helping me with this matter. She even called me today, March 26th, to give phone confirmation that she is going to work with their business partners in the grievance department to help me with this matter. Hopefully, there will be a satisfactory outcome. At this point, I would prefer that UHC pay 100% for the cleaning done at Dr. Marc Henner's office here in Valley Stream on March 17th, and continue to pay 100% for all future routine work at his office; including future cleanings, x-rays, exams, cavities filled (when necessary), and the gas needed to do that procedure. Henner is only a few blocks away from my house, and he does the gas, so he would be the best option for me.

If I can not get the proper dental care that I need under UHC, then as soon as I'm able to disenroll from United Healthcare and sign up with a different insurance company later this year, I am going to do that. Hopefully it won't come to that because I'm just sick and tired of having to keep changing dentists and insurance companies.

[UPDATE - 4/1/2025]
Yesterday, I received a "Payment Requested" e-mail from Henner Dental Associates for $123.


Today, I received a physical claims document from UHC showing that UHC only paid Henner $52 (30%) towards the $175 cleaning (D1110 Prophylaxis) that was done on March 17th.


Although I already stated this in this article, let me reiterate that before I went to the cleaning appointment, I wanted to get assurances that 100% of the cleaning would be paid for by UHC. On March 17th at 9:30am, I called the Dental Provider Line (1-844-275-8750) and spoke to UHC rep Chelsea. She told me that UHC would pay "100%" for the cleaning. As I listen to the recoding of the conversation, I only noticed now that she said that "the plan pays 100% of the allowed amount." She did NOT emphasis "allowed amount", much less state that it is different from "billed amount". Furthermore, to be completely assured that I wouldn't have to pay anything for the cleaning, I then - TWICE! - asked her to confirm that UHC would pay 100% to an out-of-network dentist for a cleaning. Both times, she responded with, "Correct". The only reasonable definition of "100%" is "100% of the bill". (Below is the relevant part of the recorded conversation.)


So, if you're playing along at home, this is now the THIRD lie UHC has made:

* UHC LIE #3 - UHC Dental rep Chelsea confirmed - TWICE! - that UHC would pay 100% to Henner for the March 17th cleaning, but UHC only paid 30% ($52 of a $175 bill).

UHC didn't even pay Henner half of what he charged! I could only imagine how little UHC would pay for whatever Henner overcharges for exams, X-rays, and fillings and gas. I can't afford to pay for any more expensive work because UHC would pay so little for it. If UHC paid 100%, it wouldn't matter to me what Henner charged.

I just e-mailed Tischa, the executive consultant of Consumer Affairs at United Health Group, to see if UHC would pay the remaining amount, and also pay 100% for any future work. If they don't agree to that, I can't continue to see Henner, as I can't afford to pay him every time for what UHC won't pay for.

I also e-mailed Henner's office (hennerstaff@gmail.com) to let them know that I am in contact with a representative from UHG's Consumer Affairs department in an attempt to get UHC to pay him 100%, as UHC Dental rep Chelsea confirmed to me that they would before I went to the appointment. I did not hear back from Henner's office, so I hope they received my e-mail and would be patient. I certainly don't want Henner to send the bill to a collection agency while UHC continues to drags its heels on the matter.

Remember, I am in this situation because UHC deceived me with an outdated dental provider search (linked to the plan page), and the UHC representatives LIED to me, when I signed up in December 2024 by saying that the dentist I was seeing at the time (The Smilist at 17 West Merrick Road in Valley Stream) accepted the UHC plan that I was signing up for.

If UHC will not pay 100% so that I can continue seeing Henner - who is the best dentist I could go to in terms of location, does the gas, and how well they perform the services - then UHC needs to find me a dentist that checks off all of the boxes: is in walking distance, does the gas, and UHC will pay for 100%.

Although I don't care much for The Smilist - they gave me all sorts of hassles at the front desk throughout 2023 and didn't perform two procedures with the gas properly - if UHC would pay them 100%, and tell the front desk receptionists that they accept the insurance, that would be great. I didn't get past the front desk when I went in with my UHC card a few weeks ago. That's when the front desk receptionist took one look at my card and told me that they don't accept UHC Community plans.

I cannot continue being without a dentist. Had I known that UHC was lying and deceiving me when I signed up in December 2024, I would not have signed up with UHC.

[UPDATE - 4/3/2025]
Today, I received another physical document in the mail from UHC. Dated March 28, 2025, it seems to be an acknowledgment letter from Kevin C., the Senior Appeals Representative.


I'll give Tischa and UHC a few more days to make some progress on the matter. I'll get in touch with her early next week if I don't hear from her sooner.

[UPDATE - 4/11/2025]
It's been a week since I've given all of you an update on this matter. Sadly, there isn't much to report. It doesn't seem like Tischa is doing much of anything to help me. When she does reply to my e-mails, it's either a disingenuous regurgitation of what I said to her, such as in the two e-mails below...

Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 21:25:20 +0000
Subject: Your Complaint with UHC
From: UHG Consumer Affairs (uhg_consumer_affairs@uhg.com)
To: Paul

Dear Paul,

Thank you for your detailed message. I understand the urgency of your situation and the importance of resolving this matter promptly. I have noted your concerns regarding the need for a dentist who provides Nitrous Oxide gas and is within walking distance, with full coverage by UHC for routine dental services.

In the meantime, I will work on obtaining the necessary assurances from United Healthcare regarding coverage at Henner Dental Associates. I will keep you updated on the progress and aim to provide a resolution as quickly as possible no later than 4/2/25.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Best regards,
Tischa
Executive Consultant, Consumer Affairs

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2025 19:40:54 +0000
Subject: Your Complaint with UHC
From: UHG Consumer Affairs (uhg_consumer_affairs@uhg.com)
To: Paul

Dear Paul,

Thank you for your email and for providing the updated information.

I appreciate the details you've shared regarding the payment discrepancies and the assurances you received from UHC representatives. I understand the urgency of this matter and the frustration it has caused.

Please know that I am actively researching the situation along with my business partners to ensure we provide the most accurate resolution. We are reviewing the claims and the communications with UHC to address the issues you've highlighted.

I will keep you updated on our progress and reach out as soon as we have more information.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Best regards,

Tischa
Executive Consultant, Consumer Affairs

...or it's a generic "case is still in progress" reply. On April 4th and 11th I received the SAME EXACT e-mail from Tischa (copied below). The first gave a date of April 11th, and then on that date, it was updated to April 18th. I'm sure in a week, when that date comes around, it will be changed to April 25th.

Dear Paul,

I am writing to follow up on your complaint. The case is still in progress. I will update you by April 18, 2025, or sooner if a resolution is reached before then.

Thank you for your patience.

Best regards,
Tischa
Executive Consultant, Consumer Affairs

Meanwhile, no one at UHC has found me a dentist that they'd be willing to pay for 100% who is easy for me to get to and who provides gas, so I am without a dentist. Henner checks off those last two boxes, but UHC needs to be willing to pay him 100% of his billed amount, not just for the cleaning done on March 17th, but all future work. Otherwise, they need to URGENTLY find me someone who checks off the boxes and not continue to make me wait while my teeth go unchecked.

[UPDATE - 4/17/2025]
Having grown tired of the non-updates I have been getting since I first heard from Tischa on March 25 - over three weeks ago - I sent several e-mails to her asking for actual details on what's going on and to find out what, if anything, she has personally done to help.

Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:40:34 -0400
Subject: Re: Your Complaint with UHC
From: Paul
To: UHG Consumer Affairs (uhg_consumer_affairs@uhg.com)

Hi Tischa

I don't know if you received any of the e-mails I sent over the past week. I haven't heard from you, so I'm assuming you didn't.

It's now been over three weeks since I originally sent my e-mail and there still has not been a resolution to this. Please tell me *exactly* what is going on. I need details, not a weekly "the case is still in progress".

Who exactly at UHC is working on this matter? What are they doing? How do I contact them?

What have you been doing to find me a dentist that checks off all the boxes - does Nitrous Oxide gas, is easy for me to get to (walking distance preferable), and UHC will pay for *COMPLETELY* (so I don't have to pay anything) - or to get UHC to pay Dr. Henner *COMPLETELY* for the cleaning (as I was assured by UHC rep Chelsea on March 17th at 9:30am) and anything going forward? Henner checks off the first two boxes; it's only getting UHC to pay him *completely* that is unchecked.

Henner's office sent me a bill for $123 on March 31st, which was already two weeks ago. I told Henner's office that I contacted UHC about the matter. He is going to want that money, and won't wait around forever to get it. I do NOT want him to send the matter to a collection agency. If I have to borrow money in order to pay him the $123 myself, so as to prevent it from going to collections, I would expect for UHC to pay me back by sending me a $123 check.

I wrote an article about this matter on my website. For now, all I can do is keep my readers updated on the lack of progress. I do hope that I will soon have a positive resolution to report in my my article.
--
Yours Truly,
Paul Rudoff

Today, I received a secure e-mail reply via ProofPoint that didn't answer any of my questions or provide any details at all.

Your Complaint with UHC
From: UHG Consumer Affairs
To: Paul
Sent: 4/17/2025 1:58:02 PM

Dear Paul,

I am writing to follow up on your complaint. I received your email and attempted to call you today, April 17, 2025, at 12:02 PM CST, leaving a message. I apologize for not having more detailed information regarding your complaint at this time. I am collaborating with our internal business partners in dental, appeals, and grievances, who are still researching the issues and will provide resolutions once available.

In the meantime, you may contact Member Services at 1-800-514-4912 for assistance in locating a dentist, as requested in your email. You may also use the chat option in your member portal. Additionally, I have attached a list of in-network dentists in your area. The choice of provider is yours. Please note that this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, behavioral health, dental, or healthcare advice. This directory does not recommend any particular provider or type of care. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911. Before scheduling an appointment or receiving services, please check with your provider to confirm available services and participation. The directory is updated weekly. If you think any information in the directory is inaccurate, let us know by clicking on 'Report Incorrect Information' on the provider's page or by calling the number on your health plan member ID card.

Your costs may vary due to changes in the provider's contract or status, additional services during treatment, service coverage, or other reasons. Please check with your provider and health plan details to confirm that the service is covered and the costs you may be charged. You are responsible for costs not covered and for obtaining any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Regarding your claim with Dr. Henner on March 17, 2025, it was processed and paid, and you have a responsibility of $123.00. This matter is being researched with our internal business partners to determine if an appeal will be made and what the next steps are.

Thank you for your patience.

Best regards,
Tischa
Executive Consultant, Consumer Affairs

Attachments: Dentists.pdf [Ed. Note: This was a zero-byte file]

I'm not even sure why the message was sent securely as there was no personal information in it. Based upon what she wrote, it seems to me that UHC is trying to ignore the fact that UHC reps (and a UHC website) have lied to/deceived me - THREE TIMES! - which has put me in the situation that I am in. Furthermore, it seems to me that UHC does not want to take responsibility for putting me in this situation by not doing anything to get me out of it.

When I was an Aetna member, my high-level contact was Marilyn Gaughan from the Medicare Executive Response team. In early 2023, after having trouble on my own to find a local dentist that did Nitrous Oxide gas who Aetna would *completely* pay for, within a few days, she was able to find me The Smilist in Valley Stream. Although I was never happy with the way I was treated at The Smilist, they checked off all of the boxes, so I continued going there.

When I first received the reply from Tischa on March 25th, I thought that, like Marilyn Gaughan at Aetna, she would take immediate action on the matter and help me to get out of the situation that UHC put me in. Nearly four weeks later, and all I hear from her, in weekly "updates" is that "the case is still in progress".

I just sent Tischa a rather lengthy reply, both securely and through traditional e-mail, which completely re-stated the entire situation and illustrated how THREE TIMES I was lied to/deceived by UHC (the reps and the dental search website).

Why is it taking so long for UHC to do the right thing?

[UPDATE - 4/23/2025]
Today, April 23, 2025 at 1:57 PM Eastern, I received a phone call from Justin of United Healthcare's Grievance department. The caller ID said that he was calling from phone number 614-698-3851. He noticed that I saw a Dr. Henner last month, and he wanted to know if he was going to be my dentist from now on, or if I was still trying to find a dentist. Of course, I told him that if United will pay Henner COMPLETELY from now on, then he could be my dentist because he does the gas and is someone that I can get to easily. Otherwise, I don't have a dentist. Justin said, "I've been calling providers and it doesn't seem like a lot of our network providers use that gas. I'm still trying to see what other options we can do with you." I think UHC finally understands what I have to go through every few years when a dentist dumps Medicaid, and why it was a serious problem that they lied - TWICE - about The Smilist accepting the plan I was signing up for back in December. When I asked Justin if he has a direct number that I could reach him at, he chose not to give it to me, instead saying that "we usually refer people to customer service". Yes, the higher-ups at United Healthcare - you know, the people that are actually working on the matter - don't allow their members to have direct contact with them. I absolutely detest that, as I have zero interest going through a "middleman". Speaking of...

In what is surely not a coincidence, three hours later, at 4:52 PM Eastern, I received an e-mail from Tischa that said, "Your case has been resolved and closed. A detailed resolution letter has been mailed to the address on file. It was a pleasure assisting you."


It didn't seem like there was an immediate resolution coming when I spoke, for just three minutes, with Justin. Perhaps Justin realized what I've been saying all along; that none of their in-network dentists do the Nitrous Oxide gas, and that if UHC would just be willing to pay Henner now and forever, the problem would be solved. The way I see it, UHC is going to do one of three things.

1. Pay Henner the $123 and agree to pay him completely for all routine work in the future.
2. Pay Henner the $123, but continue to only pay him a small pittance for all routine work in the future.
3. Not pay Henner the $123, and continue to only pay him a small pittance for all routine work in the future.

Option #1 is the right thing to do. It would solve my dental problems. If they do #2 or #3, then I can't see Henner, so I am without a dentist.

The fact that Tischa did not state the resolution in her e-mail does not give me hope that it will be #1. I will update this article when I receive the document in the mail stating the resolution of the matter.

[UPDATE - 4/28/2025]
Today, April 28th, I received the "resolution letter" from United Healthcare (UHC) in response to the e-mail I sent on March 24th to executives Andrew Witty and Tim Noel. Insultingly, this professional letter is signed "J S, Appeal Representative". Yeah, not even a first name; just two initials. Perhaps the "J" stands for "Justin", the person who called last week. It is disgusting that the staff at United Healthcare doesn't operate with transparency to their members.

Even more insulting and disgusting is that there is NO RESOLUTION in the "resolution letter". The letter just re-states facts I already told UHC without actually providing a resolution to the matter. United Healthcare simply refuses to acknowledge that I was lied to THREE times by their reps and their website, so of course, they will not do anything to rectify the situation I'm currently in as a result. I can't say that I am surprised. That the insurance companies and the dentists put profits before people is why the U.S. healthcare system is broken.


Let's dissect this "resolution letter"...

We received your grievance request on March 24, 2025. Thank you for sharing your concerns about dental customer service, an outdated dental website, discrimination and finding a dental provider for special needs. You explained you were given incorrect information about providers that are in our network. This is a result of an email dated March 24, 2025, addressed to Andrew Witty. We take your concerns very seriously.

I don't recall mentioning anything about "discrimination", aside from obvious the fact that low-income people in the United States aren't given the same level of care as those with much higher incomes. If my concerns were taken very seriously, why did it take over a month just for United Healthcare to do NOTHING about the problem?!?

We are greatly concerned when our members have difficulty with the services received through UnitedHealthcare. We rely on our members' feedback to improve the quality of our service. Please be assured that we give full consideration to all enrollee concerns and take actions as appropriate on identified issues.

The "take actions as appropriate on identified issues" statement makes me laugh.

Thank you for speaking with us on April 23, 2025, you confirmed you joined our plan because you believed The Smilist was in our network. We searched our provider directory, and we were unable to find The Smilist as a contracted provider with us. We have forwarded a request to Customer Service management to have your concerns properly addressed. We want you to know UnitedHealthcare invests many resources in the training of associates so they may provide our enrollees and their families with courteous, professional and knowledgeable services.

It's not that I believed The Smilist was in the UHC network, I was FUCKING TOLD IT WAS BY TWO UHC REPS!!! This is in addition to EIGHT dentists at The Smilist being listed on the UHC dental search website that was linked to on the plan page. This plan page is the one on which UHC is advertising and selling the plan to prospective members. To include incorrect information on that page is false advertising, which is illegal.

If I haven't been clear about this already, let me state it in big letters: THE ONLY REASON I SIGNED UP WITH UNITED HEALTHCARE IS BECAUSE TWO UHC REPS AND THE UHC DENTAL PROVIDER WEBSITE ALL TOLD ME THAT THE SMILIST WAS IN THE UHC NETWORK. Had I not been told/shown this, I would not have signed up with United Healthcare.

Furthermore, as I discovered last month through detective work (already discussed in this article), United Healthcare has (at least) TWO dental provider search websites online. Why? Take down the old outdated one and redirect the url to the new one. As of this writing (April 28, 2025), the old outdated search is STILL online and STILL lists eight dentists at The Smilist. I made UHC aware of this problem over a month ago. Why hasn't the old search site been taken down already?

We searched our online directory at member.uhc.com, and reached out to numerous providers in or near your zip code. All the contracted providers we spoke to, confirmed they do not offer nitrous oxide to their patients.

No shit. I've been telling UHC this all along. That's why I'm in the predicament that I'm in. I have hand-written notes about local dentists from 2014, that I then re-wrote in 2022 when I signed up with Aetna, and sloppily added United Healthcare to last month, which shows no in-network local dentists do Nitrous Oxide gas. Below is a scan of my personal notes. No one can say that I did not put in the work.


That's why United Healthcare needs to pay Henner 100% of what he charges, because he's local and he does gas. As previously noted, I was told by UHC rep Chelsea on March 17th - before going to the cleaning appointment - that UHC would pay Henner 100%. The reasonable common definition of 100% - which is 100% of what the dentist charges - differs from UHC's definition of 100%. This THIRD LIE by a UHC rep is NOT mentioned in this "resolution letter".

Does UHC want me to go to a UHC in-network dentist for cleanings, x-rays, and exams, but not be able to get any fillings done (with gas) if the need arises? I had that problem back in the Summer of 2021 (as noted in this article) when I was on straight Medicaid. The dentist I was seeing at the time did not do gas. They tried to fill some cavities, but I started gagging as soon as they put paper in my mouth. That caused me to live with UNFILLED CAVITIES FOR OVER A YEAR! It's not like I could go to two different dentists; one in-network for cleanings, x-rays, and exams, and out-of-network Henner for fillings (with gas).

We did confirm you do have out-of-network coverage for dental, so you can continue seeing Dr. Richard Henner. When going out of network, it is up to the provider if they will charge the patient more than what we pay.

If it doesn't pay 100% of the bill, then I do NOT have out-of-network coverage for dental. It's a "discount", not "coverage".

Yeah, I can continue to see Dr. Henner, as long as I have the money to pay the MAJORITY of the bills. My UHC plan is for people who have both Medicaid and Medicare, the former is government insurance for poor and low-income people. UHC knows this, yet expects me to have the money to pay 70% or more of each bill! If United Healthcare will not pay 100% of the bill, I can NOT continue to see Dr. Henner. I've told UHC this since the beginning, but that aspect isn't even mentioned here.

Let's be honest here, United Healthcare is a multi-billion dollar company (current net worth is $374.64 billion) that easily could pay 100% of every bill from Henner, and it wouldn't even make a blip in the company's bottom line. Heck, the executives Andrew Witty and Tim Noel could easily pay for my dental care out of their own pockets and it wouldn't affect them one bit. This is just a case of a corporate greed putting profits before people.

Since the non-resolution "resolution letter" made it clear that UHC would not pay Henner the $123 remaining for the March 17th cleaning, I had to borrow the money so that I could pay it today (April 28th). I did not want this hanging over my head any longer. If United Healthcare was an honorable company, they would send me a check for $123 to pay me back for this expense that I should not have had to pay. I would then be able to pay back the person I borrowed the $123 from.

Per online research, nitrous oxide is not commonly used today as it was in the past. Instead of nitrous oxide, dentists now sometimes utilize alternative sedation methods such as oral sedatives, intravenous sedation, and local anesthesia. You may want to see one of our network providers to see if any of these methods may work for you. Please contact us if you would like us to schedule an appointment for you with a contracted provider.

Okay, so where is this list of in-network dentists that utilize alternative sedation methods? How convenient that a list is not provided. Maybe there are no in-network dentists that utilize these alternative sedation methods. Oh, and how can I contact "JS" when no direct contact info is provided? I've already proven how useless the low-level employees are. Remember, that's why I'm in this situation in the first place.

We forwarded your grievance to the Web Support department, and they confirmed members or providers can contact Customer Service when there are updates that need to be made to our online directory. If a provider fails to notify us, they are leaving an office, our website may not correctly show current available providers. We regret the inconvenience this may cause you. Web Support department also states there should be a link where members can provide feedback about a provider if there is a discrepancy regarding their status with us. It should be located at the bottom of the page where it shows the provider's information.

So, now I have to do United Healthcare's job for them?!? I've told them about this outdated dental search site a month ago, and yet it's STILL there. As I wrote about a few paragraphs earlier, UHC has (at least) TWO dental provider sites... why? Furthermore, when a dental provider leaves UHC, I'm pretty sure they have to inform UHC of that fact. When UHC learns of this, it is UHC's responsibility to update its dental provider website... or websites, as the case may be. Again, why are there two UHC dental provider websites?!?

Thank you for your patience while we researched your issues. You are a valued member. We regret any frustration this issue may have caused you.

UHC regrets any frustration this issue may have caused me, yet isn't doing jackshit about it! What the fuck were they doing for a month while they dicked me around? Tischa sure wasn't doing anything, only acting as a gatekeeper preventing me from being able to contact the actual people - like Justin - who were "working" on this matter. As it stands, I am STILL without a dentist because UHC will not pay 100% to the only one I found that meets my special needs.

I'm disappointed in United Healthcare's lack of care about its members, but I never expected anything else. I do not believe that I can leave UHC until the end of the year, though I do not think I have any better options. There aren't a lot of insurance companies that ALL of my doctors accept. I left Aetna for United, so that's two down. I wanna say Blue Cross Blue Shield might be an option, but I could be incorrect. I settled on UHC last December, instead of others, because I saw EIGHT dentists at The Smilist in its online provider search, which was confirmed to me by TWO UHC reps when I signed up! Since I have had shitty luck with the dental offered by two companies already, I do not believe the dental coverage will be any better with any of the others. I may go back to Aetna for 2026 just to get the hell off of UHC. It's not like I'm getting proper dental coverage or consideration with UHC anyway.

[UPDATE - 4/29/2025]
Last night I sent an e-mail to Tischa at the UHG Consumer Affairs address (uhg_consumer_affairs@uhg.com) expressing my disappointment at there being no resolution in the "resolution letter". I received a called today (April 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM) from Erica, from the Consumer Affairs department, in response to that e-mail. Erica said that she is taking over for Tischa, and will review my case. She will follow up in three days on Friday. Given how things have gone over the past month, I have no reason to be hopeful, but we'll see.