NYC Sues Two Brooklyn Dental Practices Over Deceptive Loans and False Insurance Claims
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection filed a lawsuit on July 17 in State Supreme Court in Manhattan against Canarsie Family Dentistry and New York Family Dentistry, accusing the practices of false advertising and deception. City officials stated that dentists and their assistants frequently delivered news of costly procedures and uncovered insurance claims while patients were already in the treatment chair, experiencing pain, and unable to review fine print. The lawsuit seeks restitution and other penalties against the two unrelated Brooklyn businesses, which officials said targeted vulnerable, typically poor and older populations.
High-Interest Financing Pushed as Insurance Claims Are Falsely Denied
According to the city, the practices routinely and falsely informed patients that their insurance would not cover necessary treatments, pushing them instead toward convenient payment plans that were actually high-interest loans with rates reaching up to 27 percent. City representatives noted that some patients were enrolled in these financial products without their consent. The motivation behind the credit push, according to deputy general counsel Melissa Iachán, was to secure immediate, payment in full without waiting, negotiating with insurers, or accepting partial payments. The lawsuit details roughly half-dozen case histories, with officials anticipating additional affected patients to come forward.
Specific Patient Accounts Detail Deception and Sudden Debt
Among the named plaintiffs, Carol Romain was told by Canarsie Family Dentistry that her insurance would not cover her extraction, crown, and antibiotics, and staff refused to submit a claim or provide procedure codes. While she was in the chair, her husband signed what he believed was an insurance form, which turned out to be a credit application that left the couple liable for a $3,000 disbursement paid directly to the practice. Another patient, retired nurse’s aide Lola Parchment, visited the practice in 2023 for routine pain relief and a cleaning; after being told she needed thousands of dollars in extra work, she refused and left. By 2025, she received a collection notice stating she was being sued for $5,291 related to the practice.
Medicaid and Medicare Patients Face Escalating Threats and Additional Loan Demands
Yasmin Breeden, a 67-year-old patient on Medicaid and Medicare, sought a partial denture installation at Canarsie Family Dentistry only to be told all her remaining teeth needed extraction and permanent replacement. Rather than billing government programs, the practice demanded $1,000 out of pocket and a $5,000 loan. After the dentist failed to properly install the denture screws, her daughter was told another $10,000 loan was required to fix the issue. Within recent weeks, the practice contacted Ms. Breeden and her daughter again, threatening to send her account to a collection agency.
