ALBANY, N.Y. — Aspen Dental Management and the private equity firm that controls it illegally operate dental clinics across the country and engage in aggressive, misleading profit-driven practices that cause patients economic harm, claims a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in New York.
East Syracuse-based Aspen and Leonard Green and Partners are violating laws that require clinics to be owned by dentists actively performing procedures onsite to prevent business interests from trumping those of patients, according to court papers filed at U.S. District Court in Albany.
The suit is on behalf of 11 people in 11 states, but their lawyers are seeking class action status that could cover tens of thousands of current and former patients and untold monetary damages.
Aspen has seven offices in Maine, in Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, Portland, South Portland, Topsham, and Waterville.
They argue that the structure of Aspen Dental puts a premium on getting patients to consent to expensive treatment plans through aggressive sales pitches after they’ve been attracted to the clinics by free exam and X-ray promotions.
Lawyers Brian Cohen and Jeffrey Norton said the goal is to maximize profits for the non-dentist owners of Aspen by using dentists as “sham” owners of clinics, some of which operate too far away, including in other states, for the dentists to practice there. That, they say, violates New York’s law against “unlawful corporate practice of medicine.”
Aspen’s “so-called ‘Practice Owners’ are nothing more than de facto employees and/or independent contractors” of the company, which controls its 358 clinics’ marketing, credit offers, hiring, training and bookkeeping, according to the court papers.
Kasey Pickett, Aspen’s director of communication, said the accusations made in the filing were “entirely without merit.” She said Aspen doesn’t employ dentists or control clinical care, instead providing management support.
A message left with Leonard Green and Partners, a $15 billion private equity firm based in Los Angeles, wasn’t initially returned. The court papers say the firm took a controlling interest in Aspen for $547 million in 2010.
There are Aspen clinics in 22 states: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Aren’t we supposed to embrace free market capitalist health care, not hobble it?
Yes we are. However, this business (since that is what it is… not a medical practice) is the dental equivalent of taking your car in for an inspection because of a “free inspection” promo and being bullied into having $1000 in repairs done that were not actually necessary for the inspection.
Keep reading, Mass, keep reading. You will learn how outfits such as Aspen cash in with those who think they’re supporting free market health care.
I have to agree with this, I went in to have them see what they could do due to a low price quoted in the paper for dentures, I was informed after examination that i would have to agree to a 2 year commitment for care, including three pairs of dentures at a whopping $7,500 dollar fee. They refused to allow anything else, said it was their “policy”, all or nothing. I went with nothing.
Yeah, by golly, gotta have THREE sets of dentures on hand! Kee-ripes, wouldn’t be able to sleep at night without having a couple extra just in case… LOL
60 minutes ran a story on them and other scam dentists like them a few months ago – I’m not sure why anyone would go there.
Oh and this didn’t include sedation costs and a few other tid bits.
A private healthcare provider profitting excessively from its patients. What has the healthcare market come to?
My 30 year old son went to Aspen Dental in Portland. He has never had a cavity in his life. They took xrays and informed him that he had 10 cavities and that the dental work would be approximately $2,500.00. He was offered a payment plan of 18 months. He chose to get a 2nd opinion from a co-worker’s dentist. Needless to say, the 2nd dentist’s evaluation was quite different; no cavities and a cleaning and flossing for $165.00. I guess this report doesn’t surprise me.
he should pay them in wooden nickels
Aspen Dental: $2500 over 18 months (to cover “10+ cavities”)
Real Dentist: $165 over 1 day (to cover no cavities)
I went into the place with pains from grinding my teeth, and left with pains in my back from them trying to bend me over.
I have complaint to them before that they had pushed extremely overprices mouthwash and toothpaste on me. They made it look as if it were free samples and when I looked at my bill i notice how I had been ripped off. I complained to the company when they send me an email to rate their service. I never heard another word from them.
I had a dealing with Aspen in Mass. I had a broken tooth, I went to see what it would cost to have it pulled. By the time I got my “free” xrays and checkup, the total cost was $10,000. They wouldn’t pull my tooth because i was on blood pressure med and wanted me to check with my doctor. My doctor has given me the ok for any dental work for years.
When i came back to Bangor, Maine, I called them and they had the report from Mass. their cost was more than $10,000. They would charge $300 to pull a tooth, if i didn’t have all the other work done, which I have been to a legitimate dentist here in Bangor and had no periodontal disease or cavities.
They are crooks, plain and simple. I am glad I didn’t go to them for ANY dental work. They should be closed down.
When a deal seems to good to be true……. I do wish that all dentist’s would post their fee’s so the consumer can compare. Transparency brings rewards.
Outragious fees. Not the UCR. The 2nd opinion revealed normal. My family member went elsewhere. Locally …. as it should have been. Hooked by the free exam and x-ray. Nothings free.
When I just visited Aspen Dental recently for a cleaning the hygenist told me that they had down on my chart for a $152.00 toothbrush. I told her I didn’t think so and that they had better not bill me for that item. They also went ahead and billed my Carecredit account for both visits for the cleaning. Just today I told them I was going elsewhere to get some work done that they couldn’t provide for me in the Bangor office and would like my Carecredit account credited. I guess I had better make sure that this happens. I guess I made the best decision to leave them today and go elsewhere for services at a lower price even.
Very Smart choice to leave. I went a couple of years ago. I got raked for over $1,800. All I got was e-rays, and some stuff injected in my gums and was told I had 5 cavaties, and had peridontal disease. They also offered me the carecredit credit. I didn’t even get a teeth cleaning. I went to a real dentist and was told I had no cavaties and sure don’t have peridontal disease. I have good teeth and all I need is just 4 veneers on my 4 upper front teeth. Guess they got another sucker. I hope they pay a good penalty.
Is this a great country, or what?
Greed, pure and simple, is why this country is in the hole it’s in.
I’m tired of paying $4.79 for something that costs 35 cents to make.
You better move out of country then to get the cheap price…
I’ll bet after this story, that one wouldn’t have any problem trying to get an appointment at Aspen Dental.
True, but one should remember that going there is like the old “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.”
I`m assuming that Aspen is not affilliated with Penobscot Community Health Center? I find that the separation of medical and dental health to be in need of reconsideration. Our teeth are considered to be optional or not involved with our health. Nothing could be further from the truth! You can die from “bad teeth”. Many people have throughout history. ALL dental clinics should be covered under Medicare and Mainecare, period. Unless the work is only “for looks”.
I am in total agreement with you. I’ve said exactly the same thing many times. The health of our teeth has a direct impact on our overall health. This has been common knowledge for years and yet, nothing ever changes. Dental insurance is still kept completely separate from health insurance. My employer used to pay for about 50% of my dental work. Now I’m retired with no dental insurance. I just had my teeth cleaned, had two bitewing x-rays and bought a tube of MI paste and forked out $205.00 in less than an hour. The hygienist did it all. Didn’t even see the dentist.
He/She didn’t come in to do the exam? Hmmm………
Correct, and I thought the whole reason they saw the patient (even if they didn’t do anything) was so they could justify charging that much.
You are right that our teeth shouldn’t be “considered to be optional or not involved with our heath” but I don’t agree that all dental clinics should be covered under Medicare and Mainecare. I am familiar with dental care and know that the average office has 60% overhead.The clinics that accept Mainecare are government clinics that pay their dentists a salary. When a private practice dentist does a procedure on a patient who has Mainecare they are almost taking a loss. After the supplies they use, pay their staff for their time on the procedure and their own time & taxes they are basically not getting paid themselves. And before you say (cause I know you’re thinking it) that dentists make enough money you need to realize that most dentists (and doctors) come out of school with a substantial debt just to go to school. They can’t work for free. So unless Medicare/Mainecare raises what their payment is on an average fee schedule private practice dentists literally can’t afford to accept Mainecare.
Sounds like these guys were putting the bite on dental patients. Pun intended.
The bait and switch routine, or maybe ‘bite and switch.’ This is what happens when a big bucks holding company takes over a dental outfit — just one more asset to make profit for a boardroom full of people 3000 miles away. Aside from all the flashy ads and hype, there’s usually a good reason to ‘shop local.’
Is this what you call Obama Care?
no, Obama has nothing to do with this…
Is this what you call having an I.Q.?
not with Obama care that is for certain, you are correct.
Anybody that supports Obama would probably be stupid enough to use Aspen Dental as well.
“engage in aggressive, misleading profit-driven practices that cause patients economic harm”
I laughed when I read this. The first thought that came to mind was that they could be talking about almost any corporation in this country.
The humble Farmer
I went to the one in Bangor to price some work and they had me at a $5000 price before they even looked in my mouth. Ended up coming to $6,300. So, I went to New England Dental Center and had what was needed done for 1/4 of the price and was seen by a real dentist and they helped me get my insurance to pay for the medications I needed afterwards. Yeah, Aspen was and never will be trusted by me.
We don’t need no stinking regulation!
There! Better remove your tongue from your cheek, Eric, before some of the many literal-minded types come after you.
Your comment is the precise mindset of those who refuse to think independently. They have others tell them how to think and what to think (Lepage was a good teacher). Perish the thought they’d get off their lazy arses and do some learning…such as what happens when too many stinking regulations are removed. Er uh, the answer is-you get Aspen Dental outfits.
Thinking independently does not mean fabricating lies then posting them as fact. Last time I checked thinking independently consisted of compiling information from several different, reliable sources and then forming an informed opinion based upon that information.
I went to Aspen about 2 years ago, felt I was hooked in a scam. I had a hollow tooth from a cavity, the cavity was gone the pain was gone, problem was it needed to be filled, so with a free X-Ray that I some how ended up paying for anyways at the end of my visit, they tell me at first “Oh you have great teeth” and I am thinking, no way, I grind my teeth in my sleep, I have a hollow tooth, please tell me what you are comparing my teeth to.
So then dentist comes in, looks things over, states I got great teeth (oh did I mention some of my teeth are not straight) I state that if a filling is too much maybe I should get it pulled, then I am told no, neither method works, part of the tooth is already chipped, so I should go ahead and get a cap and crown instead, with my fancy dental card I had they told me I would pay about $1600 to cap and crown. Not being a dentist I knew this made no sense and left, and the made me pay for my free exam stating the free promotion was no longer valid but I would pay a discounted price for my Xray and exam.
Yeah decided next dentist is going to be a real one, I felt these guys were trying to sham me and to see this article, it supports my thought.
This does not surprise me in the least. Corporate greed run amuck is the Standard Operating Procedure at Aspen Dental.
Attention Tea Partiers
This is a perfect example of Lepage’s “Open for Business” ideas. He paves the way for fly-by-night,unethical outfits like Aspen to come to Maine and take advantage of people. And he calls this “people before politics.” These outfits make a ton of money and will never measure up to the kind of service you get from your local dentist.
Lepage doesn’t care…he has shown, once again, that he cares for one thing and one thing only: catering to business at any expense. Makes one wonder if he gets a “cut” along the line, doesn’t it?
Then he fights to “stop all the red tape and get rid of regulations that hamper business.” Those rules and regs. are there for a reason, folks.
See what happens when those rules are relaxed or tossed out? Outfits like Aspen swoop in.
Reclaim Maine Vote Democrat 2012
Your venomous response is a perfect example of what is wrong with this country. Aspen “swooped in” when Baldacci was governor. The only thing people like you (left or right) care about is advancing your own hateful agenda.
I don’t like the Governor, but he is hardly responsible for Aspen.
Peoples’ teeth have gotten better and better, and I have found dentists seem to be inventing problems now. What they ought to do is let dental hygienists practice like hair dressers, and not force them to have to slave under a dentist so he can tack on a fee for doing nothing. Imagine if dental cleanings were $20 and you could get one every month, you would probably never need a dentist. Oh, now I see why they fight it so hard.
So in a nutshell all this lawsuit is is a way to protect people who are too stupid to realize they are being scammed? I mean nothing is stopping you from saying “NO” after seeing their rediculous charges/fees
Such is the state of “education” in this country.
Someone who can’t spell “ridiculous” is calling people stupid. Oh the irony.
I can say that if it’s a scam then they are a lot cheaper than the local offices. I was quoted 799 for a new set of bottom dentures from a local denture place and 299 by Aspen. I do not see a scam here unless you’re talking about the other local dentists. I’ll stick with Aspen thank you.
have you paid for your 299.00 bottoms yet? If not hold on when you do
Yep, because that $299 doesn’t include lining or fitting, wax try in, and what ever else they decide to add on. The $299 dentures are actually about $400, and that’s why/how folks are getting scammed. She/he thinks they bought $299 dentures but will soon learn otherwise when they go to pick them up.
I went there, I specifically did not want the mercury fillings and what did I end up with?? Not to mention the hygienist that let not 1 but 2 filling chunks fall down my throat. I refuse to pay my bill there.
I hope Aspen Dental get their teeth kicked good. I was raked over $1,800 a couple of years ago. I went in for free X-rays and exam. I then was told upon exam that I had 5 cavaties, and that I had peridonal disease. Then I needed to have some stuff injected in my gums. Upon check out, I was offered the carecredit. I also eneded up the the $152 tooth brush and some toothpaste to use before bedtime. Total price for visit was over $1,800. Some much for the free x-rays and exam.. Nothing is never free huh. Hmmm wonder if they will eat my balance… I went to another dentist and was told I had no cavaties and I do not have peridontal disease. I have good healthy teeth. Thats my story and I am sticking to it.