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TikTok Dentist's Viral Insurance Battle
21 Feb
Summary
- Dentist spent over 90 minutes on a call to get a patient's claim approved.
- The insurance representative struggled to find necessary documentation.
- The viral TikTok video highlights widespread frustration with insurance systems.
A dentist recently shared an 8-minute TikTok video documenting an incredibly frustrating experience with a health insurance representative. The dentist spent over an hour and a half on the phone to get a patient's dental claim approved, a process that had already been denied three times.
The primary obstacle involved the insurance company's inability to locate necessary documentation, which they eventually found after the dentist pointed out it was there, simply requiring them to scroll down. The situation escalated as the dentist emphasized the dental emergency, distinct from a medical emergency requiring an ER visit.
Despite negotiating and pushing back against the representative's defensive stance, the dentist eventually secured the claim's approval. This ordeal, shared on January 2, 2026, has resonated widely, with the TikTok video attracting millions of views and comments reflecting shared outrage and disbelief.
The incident is not isolated; a KFF analysis from 2023 revealed that nearly one in five claims submitted for in-network services were denied by HealthCare.gov insurers, with even higher rates for out-of-network services. Numerous similar videos are surfacing on TikTok, aiming to bring attention to these systemic issues.
