Colossal Incompetence: UCLA Oral and Maxillofacial Department

If you want to be ripped off and jerked around, please come to the UCLA Oral and Maxillofacial department. Dealing with them is enough to put you in the psychiatric ward at UCLA. I have an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon in Beverly Hills. He's great. He takes my insurance, which is Blue Shield of California PPO, his staff is competent and they never overcharge me.

Unfortunately for me, he wanted me to see the head of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at UCLA for a second opinion. This is where my nightmare would begin. The UCLA Oral and Maxillofacial department informed me that I would not be able to get an appointment for two months. Then they told me that they did not take my insurance. That's interesting. Blue Shield of California is one of the largest insurers in the state of California and yet UCLA does not accept their insurance. I asked how much the consultation would be since I was going to be forced to pay out of pocket. The patient coordinator told me $75.

I was in a lot of pain and waiting for my appointment was misery. With about a month to go I emailed the head of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery asking him if there was any possibility of getting a sooner appointment and explained my situation. I had pain running down my neck and up the side of my head in addition to the severe jaw and teeth pain I'd been dealing with. He could not have cared less. He suggested I see another doctor at the clinic, which wasn't an option as I'd been specifically referred to him. He also said he would put me on their cancellation list. I never heard anything else.

The day of my appointment finally arrived. I waited two hours past my appointment time in a dingy waiting room that reminded me of a mental institution. I filled out about ten pages of paperwork and signed my life away. Then the patient coordinator informed me that the consultation would be $200. I explained that I'd been told it would be $75. He said there was nothing he could do. He did inform me that an intern had taken my call the day I made the appointment. How interesting. Wonder why UCLA would have an intern doing the job of a paid employee?!

I made sure to get the name of the office manager to make a complaint as I felt strongly I should not have to pay for the mistake of an intern. I contacted the office manager, Karen Johnson multiple times via phone and email. I received no response. I sent a letter of complaint to the Dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. I received a letter from the Associate Dean that they would look into the matter. Thirty days later when I'd heard nothing I left a voicemail for the Associate Dean. He responded back immediately saying that Ms. Johnson would handle the issue, and for the first time I received a response from her. What a pleasant surprise.

In the meantime, she'd managed to bill my insurance for the claim, which is even more interesting because UCLA Oral and Maxillofacial told me they did not accept my insurance. My insurance processed and paid the claim and still I received no refund.

It's been three and a half months. I have continued to send multiple emails and phone calls to the office manager Karen Johnson and have received nothing but excuses and lies. Dealing with UCLA is the epitome of hell. If you need Oral and Maxillofacial services, please stay far far away unless you like being lied to, jerked around and ripped off.