POSTED JUL 01, 2016
Robert Allen Lee desperately needed a dentist.
Dr. Stacy Makhnevich at Aster Dental in New York City was able to squeeze Lee in to treat his toothache. When Lee arrived, the dentist required he sign a “mutual agreement to maintain privacy”—a confidentiality agreement with a nondisparagement clause that waives patients’ rights to publicly comment on services and assigns copyright to the provider. Anxious for treatment, Lee signed and slid into the dentist’s chair.
Though Lee found relief from his toothache, dealing with his dentist over the bill—which totaled $4,766 for the filling—became a pain. He complained about Makhnevich on Yelp and DoctorBase, another online site, claiming the dentist overcharged him and did not furnish the treatment records that would allow him to make an insurance claim and be reimbursed.
Read More: American Bar Association