Press Release  AG Healey Reaches Settlement With Brighton Dental Office for Failing to Accept MassHealth Patients

BOSTON — Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office has reached a settlement with a Brighton dental office and dentist to resolve allegations that they refused to accept MassHealth members seeking dental treatment.

The settlement with Amity Dental Center, located in Brighton, and Dr. Christina Hsu, D.D.S., resolves allegations that they turned away, refused to see, and/or did not accept MassHealth members seeking dental treatment, when they had not notified MassHealth that the practice had reached its maximum capacity of MassHealth members, as required under state regulations.

The AG’s Office began an investigation after receiving a complaint from a MassHealth member in March 2020 who attempted to seek treatment from Amity and Dr. Hsu but was informed that Amity refused to take any more MassHealth patients. The AG’s investigation found that the dental practice had been refusing to accept new MassHealth patients between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020.

Under the terms of the settlement, Amity and Dr. Hsu have agreed to pay $7,500 and complete community service of 35 hours of free dental services through the Dental Lifeline Network (an organization that aims to serve low-income, elderly, medically fragile and/or disabled patients). Amity and Dr. Hsu have also agreed to distribute 250 dental hygiene kits and provide free dental education to one or more local schools. 

Under MassHealth regulations, if a dental provider has not notified MassHealth of caseload capacity, the provider must continue to accept all MassHealth patients. Failure to do so is a breach of the MassHealth provider contract and allegedly constitutes an unfair and deceptive practice.

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Christina Chan and Investigator Katie Suttmeier, both of the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division, with assistance from MassHealth.

The AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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