Dr. Daniel D Finnegan, Jr.

I was disappointed in Dr. Daniel Finnegan & his staff at the Sewickley location of South Hills Dental Arts. I experienced what I believe is medical malpractice and billing fraud & feel obligated to report on such. After my initial appt, I was told to schedule a follow-up visit to discuss my treatment plan before moving ahead with any procedures. I thought this was a great idea. However, the day before the follow-up appt, the office called and canceled it, choosing to e-mail me the treatment plan instead. The cost of treatment totaled over $2,000 (including six, 1-surface fillings, and what another dentist deemed were unnecessary procedures related to an extraction.) I noticed that none of the procedures, including fillings, were covered by my premium-level insurance. This surprised me, so I called my provider & was told I did indeed have coverage. I relayed this to the office, and when I received a response, Leslie Hernandez complained that she had to spend 2 hours on the phone… w/my insurance. Though she reduced the bill accordingly to include coverage for my fillings and extraction, the unnecessary procedures remained. On the day of my visit, I explained that I would be declining the unnecessary procedures and only moving forward with what insurance covered, which would total out-of-pocket costs of approx. $100. This is when things took a quick and upsetting turn. After Dr. Finnegan was told that I would be declining the additional procedures, he explained that the treatment plan was now incorrect. He stated: (1) I need a root canal, which really surprised me, because that was never previously discussed. (2) My cavities were no longer 1-surface fillings, and would be more expensive. (3) He changed the nature of the extraction, from a simple extraction (a low-cost procedure, performed by dentists and covered by my insurance) to a surgical extraction (a costly procedure, performed only by oral surgeons, and not covered until my waiting period was over). Note that Dr. Finnegan is not an oral surgeon. I was shocked, to say the least. I felt pressured and bullied to accept these last minute changes. I also felt uncomfortable agreeing to new procedures of which I did not know the out-of-pocket cost. So, I voiced my concerns and asked if it were possible for the original treatment plan be carried out. They refused. I was told the visit could not proceed until my insurance provider was called to inquire about the about billings for the new procedures, despite never having agreed to any changes. The staff member stood halfway in the exam room, halfway in the hallway, with my insurance representative on speaker phone, at a loud volume, as the entire office, and other patients heard my sensitive medical information broadcasted. I was mortified beyond belief. As an aside, when I entered for my appointment, I overhead staff tell a departing patient that her bill was $350, who had to correct them on the actual amount, just $50. The goals seems to be to bill for as much as possible, whether the procedures are necessary or not. If your insurance only covers part of the visit, you will be billed for the balance, and expected to pay the day of treatment. If you choose to move forward with this office, BE DILIGENT, and do not feel pressured to agree with last minute changes, and always double check with your insurance provider beforehand; this office cannot be trusted and from my experience, appears to be allegedly engaging in fraudulent billing practices.