MassHealth posted a notice on its website on October 1 that it will be “transitioning back to DentaQuest in early 2026. BeneCare will continue to provide services as our Dental TPA through the transition period. MassHealth is committed to processing all claims and service authorizations correctly and will be working diligently with BeneCare and providers to resolve any issues over the next few months.”
BeneCare was awarded the MassHealth dental Medicaid third-party payer contract only back in June 2024, replacing DentaQuest due to numerous provider complaints against the dental insurance giant. It was expected that BeneCare would bring a breath of fresh air to the system.
However, according to a source, BeneCare’s system was just not up to handling the administrative load, with providers not being paid for months, calls not being answered, prior authorizations not being processed, numerous double payments and non-payment problems, among other things. Worse, the company blamed situations on causes that, when checked, were unrelated to their failures and made promises that they never kept.
While DentaQuest is not viewed favorably by the MA Medicaid dental provider community, at least the company functioned.
Better the Devil you know, we suppose.