Select Dental patients to get their records back

When the owners of Select Dental made their bizarre getaway in late November, Jack and Marie Marotta were among hundreds of patients left to wonder if they would ever see their dental records again.
They found out Monday, December 17 that they will.
The announcement came in a joint statement released by Congressmember Anthony Weiner, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Assemblymember Audrey Pheffer, Chair of the Assembly’s Consumer Affairs Committee.
The owners of Select Dental, at 159-21 Cross Bay Boulevard, had been under fraud investigation by the Secret Service when they fled, leaving all contents of their office - including confidential dental records - in the hands of the building’s landlord. Because the building was deemed a crime scene, patients had no way of accessing their records during the ongoing investigation.
Under the agreement reached by Pheffer, Weiner and the U.S. Attorney’s office, records will be transferred from the landlord to the Secret Service, thereby protecting the legal rights of the landlord, who has no involvement in the case, reports say. The Secret Service will then transfer the records to the agency’s New York field office, where they can be retrieved by patients.
“I was concerned because I didn’t know where those records were going to end up, and who was going to see our names,” said Jack Marotta. “I’m happy that [the agreement] happened - that they got people involved.”
“It was very important that these records got back to the patients,” said Pheffer. “I applaud all those involved who worked hard to make this right.”
Weiner added that patients victimized by the Select Dental scam have “been through enough,” and said it was important that the situation be resolved as quickly as possible so that those patients can “continue to get care elsewhere.”
Patients like the Marottas are not out of the woods yet, however.
Like many former patients, the Marottas took out extended credit from credit agency Care Credit on dental procedures that were never ultimately performed.
Care Credit says it has red-flagged all Select Dental transactions and will work with victims to get their money back.
Marie Marotta said she and her husband spent over $5,000 and have not yet been reimbursed. For her own procedures, Marotta said she hopes to be reimbursed in 10 business days. Her husband’s payments, she said, are a little more complicated.
“They were supposed to send us forms for him to fill out, but we haven’t gotten them yet,” she said. “Once we do, they told us it would then take 30 days to work everything out.”
Weiner and Pheffer said they will keep constituents updated on the situation.
“Consumers expect to know that when fraud has been committed, the government is on their side,” Pheffer said.
Patients who wish to obtain their dental records, as well as anyone with questions or concerns related to the matter, are encouraged to call the offices of Pheffer (718-945-9550) or Weiner (718-520-9001).