Michael C Thomas, DDS

I’ve been going to Dr. Thomas and team for 30 years and have always had great service from both front office and Dr. Thomas himself. Hygienists have always been great, sensitive, thorough. As for the nut job in the below rant from 2010, she is clearly a person who does not understand how dentists and insurance works. Her teeth must have been neglected for a long time to need to split her cleaning into two parts and that means Dr. Thomas has to pay his hygienist twice. That is the patient’s fault, not the dentist’s. Dr. Thomas’s office has always worked with me when I exceeded my dental insurance and there has never been a single issue with billing that couldn’t be resolved with good sense and a call. Over the 30 years, I’ve had countless fillings as old ones needed to be replaced, several crowns, etc, and am going today for my first implant. Every time I get in early, get great, friendly treatment, am out on time and get a reminder in the mail for the next visit. In addition, Dr. Thomas works with great professionals for crowns and implants. Just nice guys who do a great job, all of them. Even though I now live in San Jose, I’ll keep driving to Pacifica for Doc Thomas as long as he stays in business.

We have been going to dr. T for approx. 30 years. He and his staff are wonderful. I have had numerous crowns, fillings, root canals, and 5 implants! Dr. Thomas saved my dental life.

Their billing practices are shady! They are scamming insurance companies by splitting teeth cleanings into 2 visits & billing for whole cleanings each time. This means, as far as your insurance coverage is concerned, you have had your 2 cleanings for the year, even though it was really only one complete cleaning. Then they schedule you to return, for what you think is your second cleaning, & will be covered by your insurance, to only later, after the fact discover that, you, the patient, is going to be held responsible for paying for the additional cleaning charge. They do not notify you in advance that you will have to pay out of pocket for the visit, nor do they notify you at any time that your first 2 half cleanings will count as 2 whole cleanings, thus, using your entire insurance benefit for the year! DO NOT GO TO THIS OFFICE!
I showed up for my teeth cleaning appt & was told they could only clean my top teeth that day because they were out of time and to make another appointment for my bottom teeth. Which I did. The day I returned to have my bottom teeth cleaned, I was told to schedule my next appt for 4 months away rather than 6. Which I did. When I returned for that final cleaning, the hygenist said, «Let’s go up front the the office and see if your insurance covers only 2 cleanings per year or 3. If they will cover 3, you can still come back one more time before this year ends.» As we approached the front desk, the hygenist asked the office manager (not sure her real title, but I can come up with a few inappropriate ones very easily) if I had coverage for a third cleaning. The office manager replied, to her, not to me, that I was only covered for 2 vists and that my visit that day had already been my third. I overheard and began to ask questions. I explained that the hygenist had only cleaned half my teeth the first time & had requested I return for the second half on another day. I also explained, that similar to the hygenist, I had been under the impression that those two half cleanings equalled one full cleaning & that was how it should have been billed to my insurance. Meaning that my current visit would be billed as my second cleaning of the calendar year. She rudely told me, «No! We bill insurance companies for cleanings, and that is how they pay for them. Not whether it is half or not.» I asked, «So then you’re telling me that I am going to be held responsible to pay for todays visit?» She said, «Yes.» I explained that had I know that in advance, I could have made a choice whether or not to return, & would have chosen not to. I explained that I do not think it is fair to create a bill in my name that I was not made aware of & cannot afford. She again rudely responded, «Didn’t you get a card from your insurance or an explanation of benefits?» I said, «Actually, no. They do not issue cards. They ask us to call around and find a provider who accepts their coverage & then make an appointment.» She replied, «Well, I do my best to notify patients of their coverage, but it is your responsibility .» I left unhappy & confused. When I got home, I called the office again & asked her if we could readdress the conversastion. I explained that EVEN IF I had known that I was only covered for 2 cleanngs a year, I still would not have known that it was THEIR OFFICE’S PRACTICE to split cleanings in ½ & bill them seperately & that I feel I should have been made aware of that when I was asked to book the follow up appointment. Her answers was, as expected, cold, dry and I was basically told too bad!
I then decided not to hold the dentist, Dr Thomas, accountable for his employees lack of professionalism or ethics! I reached out to him by email & exlpained the whole scenario. I did not ask him to wipe away the bill, but explained that, in addition to feeling scammed, I am also on disability and cannot afford unexpected bills. My requests was whether or not we could work something out. Perhaps, lower the fee, or offer a payment plan, something… anything… NO REPONSE WAS EVER GIVEN BY THE DENTIST! His office manager, however, within 2 days of the email, sent me a bill & an explanation of my benefits. While this benefit info my be helpful moving forward, it IN NO WAY changes the fact that the shady billing practice already occured! I then filed a dispute with my insurance co. over the charges, the co-​pay and the billing method.
Yesterday I returned to Dr. Thomas office for another visit, not a cleaning. I was interrogated about the payment while in the lobby. When I explained that I filed a dispute with my insurance & wanted to wait for a response before I pay that portion, but that I did have my copay for this visit, the office manager checked in with Dr Thomas & THEY refused service & turned me away until I pay! Until that day, my interactions in person, by phone and by email had been very respectful as I had every intention of returning BUT NOT NOW!!!