In September when TDMR learned that the new Medicaid Dental Services RFP had gone out, we also learned and reported that Dr. Linda Altenhoff, former dental director for the Department of State Health Services and dental director for Texas OIG had become a Vice President of MCNA, one of the current Texas DMOs. HHSC bosses lost jobs A dentist in his 70s who lost his retirement … [Read more...]
Questions Linger about Capitation and DMO RFP
We've heard from various dentists that they have questions about controversial issues that have come up over the last several months. So we assume there are more out there that have the same questions or heard the same rumors. Primarily they are concerned about DMOs moving to a capitation plan as DentaQuest was seeking to do and what is currently happening with the RFP. So … [Read more...]
Dentist Quits MCNA in Disgust Over $33,000 Recoup Demand
From time to time, TDMR receives correspondence from dentists expressing their frustration and anger with one or both of the current DMOs managing Texas Medicaid. Last week, we received an email from a dental provider about a recoupment demand made by MCNA. Apparently, it took the company three years to review the documents he had sent them per their initial request. He … [Read more...]
TDMR DMO Survey 2018 Results: MCNA Improves, DentaQuest Has More Problems, Dentists Frustrated
We have closed our revised 2018 Dental Management Organization annual survey and are today giving you the results. Our survey sample is not that large, unfortunately. At the end of the day, only 39 providers entered the survey as we decided to ask for actual names and provider numbers to prevent possible false responses. Consequently, it is more than likely that those … [Read more...]
DMO Request for Proposals Coming?
TDMR has been asked several times recently if we have any knowledge of an upcoming RFP (request for proposals) for dental management organizations. There have been rumors flying around for well over a year now that Texas Health and Human Services would be putting out such an RFP at some point. Back in the day, late 2016, we even talked with someone at HHS about this and … [Read more...]
MCNA Dental awarded Arkansas Medicaid contract
July 17, 2017 -- MCNA Dental has signed a contract with the Arkansas Department of Human Services to serve as a dental benefits manager for the state's Medicaid program and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The contract takes effect in January 2018. MCNA will be one of two managed dental care organizations serving 900,000 children and adults in … [Read more...]
Dentaquest sues in Arkansas to toss Medicaid pick
A Boston company has asked a judge to overturn an Arkansas official's decision that resulted in the firm losing a bid for a multimillion-dollar contract to manage dental benefits for Medicaid recipients. In a lawsuit filed Monday in Pulaski County Circuit Court, DentaQuest contends that state Procurement Director Edward Armstrong erred in February when he disqualified the … [Read more...]
Followup Survey on DMOs Shows Slight Improvement, Not Much Different
Below are the results of our TDMR Medicaid Dental Maintenance Organization Followup Survey. 84 dentists responded to the survey which is not quite comparable to the 105 who took the first survey back in December 2016. Cautions on the results Again, there are a few caveats on the results - the survey was done anonymously and no check was done to ensure those answering … [Read more...]
U.S. Senate confirms Rick Perry as Trump’s energy secretary – still listed on MCNA board of directors
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved the confirmation of Rick Perry as the next secretary of the Department of Energy on Thursday. The vote was 62-37, and included the support of both Texans in the chamber, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Perry will now take over the very department he famously forgot during a presidential debate in 2011 while trying to list the three … [Read more...]
Are Things Better Now with MCNA and Dentaquest? Take Our Survey
UPDATE, March 2: Survey is now closed. Last fall through to this January, TDMR received a deluge of unsolicited complaints regarding problems with Medicaid dental managed care organizations. Lots of complaints and education actions taken We have published no less than 18 articles regarding the subject since last August with the primary culprit appearing to be … [Read more...]