OIG recently published the following article on its website. Providers should know that AI is on the job at OIG now. New tech tools increase OIG productivity Teams within the OIG Data Operations Division recently launched new efficiency-focused tools … Read More
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a new rule to limit certain Medicaid payment arrangements used by states. According to CMS, the proposal is intended to “rein in misused Medicaid dollars” and place new limits on state-directed … Read More
We are republishing this article from the OIG website that was written for and published by Texas Dental Association (TDA). As the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) works to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in … Read More
The ADA’s latest State of the U.S. Dental Economy (Q1 2026) has been released and paints an interesting picture. According to the report, on the surface, things look stable. Dentist confidence is holding, and consumer spending on dental care continues … Read More
For those of you still following this 15 year orthodontic debacle, in a long-awaited decision, the Fifteenth Court of Appeals has reversed a trial court’s ruling and held that Alexandra Alvarez, Joshua LaFountain, and Christine Ellis, DDS, are not entitled … Read More
Last Friday, TDMR published our article highlighting growing concerns about dental marketing in Texas Medicaid, as raised by a recent interagency report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG)/Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Well, the proverbial shit hit the … Read More
The latest Joint Annual Interagency Coordination Report from the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Texas Office of the Attorney General, which was published this month, offers a useful reminder for Medicaid dentists about where … Read More
The Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) is under review by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission this year, as a part of an overall evaluation of HHSC. OIG itself is inviting public input on its mission … Read More
Over the past nine years, Jeff Leston of Castlestone Advisors has written several articles for TDMR examining why Medicaid fraud continues despite decades of enforcement efforts. In his previous pieces, Why States Aren’t Really Interested in Reducing Medicaid Fraud, A … Read More
Almost 15 years ago, on May 13, 2011, WFAA’s Byron Harris uttered the famous phrase, “Nobody has ever died from crooked teeth,” which ushered in the Great Texas Medicaid Fraud Debacle. To think that today, in 2026, TDMR would still … Read More
DentaQuest has named a new dental director for its operations in Texas. Dr. Ronke Ogunbameru, a board-certified pediatric dentist based in Mansfield, will take the reins of the troubled Texas DMO. The Sunlife-DentaQuest press release sent out Thursday says that “she … Read More
The following is a press release from the Office of the Governor. ————————————- Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter directing the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) … Read More
A new federal class action lawsuit alleges that Delta Dental Plans Association and more than 40 affiliated Delta Dental entities systematically mislead insured patients regarding the extent of coverage for out-of-network dental care. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. … Read More
TDMR has received and confirmed a new complaint about DentaQuest regarding the DMO’s handling of primary tooth extractions. The issue has now been independently verified by three additional dental offices, indicating it is not an isolated incident but a recurring … Read More
Texas Health and Human Services has sent notifications that it is now accepting applications to serve on the State Medicaid Managed Care Advisory Committee for a two-year term. The first line says it all. “If you’re interested in issues related … Read More
Stephanie Muth, the former commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, has been named Texas’ next health commissioner. Her first day will be on Jan. 3. On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he has appointed Muth … Read More
We have received numerous emails asking, “What can we do about DentaQuest’s [name your problem]?” Beyond quitting, we need a new adage. Yes, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” but a broken wheel needs more than grease because DentaQuest is … Read More
Sun Life, the Canadian parent company of DentaQuest, has reported a $64 million drop in income for its U.S. dental and group benefits segment. Their explanation for the dental drop? Americans use too much dental care. Yep. On the Q3 … Read More
Our article earlier this month, DMO Credentialing Practices Continue to Burn Dental Providers, on the continuing problems with DMO credentialing drew a quick response from several frustrated Texas dentists — and the stories are all too familiar. “What a mess, … Read More
TDMR took a look at the most recent enrollment figures for Texas Medicaid on the HHSC website. HHSC used to keep this up pretty well, but for some reason, the latest data is from July 2025. What we discovered was … Read More
