A Massachusetts orthodontist sued by the state's attorney general last year is now taking aim at dental insurance plans, the Boston Herald reported July 6.
Mouhab Rizkallah, DDS, was accused of submitting false claims to Massachusetts' Medicaid program, MassHealth, by billing patients for missed or canceled appointments, in violation of MassHealth and federal regulations. He also allegedly kept patients in braces for longer than medically necessary and fraudulently billed the state for mouthguards, according to the lawsuit.
He has reportedly gathered enough signatures to establish a ballot question asking voters whether the state should establish a medical loss ratio for dental insurers. The proposal directs Gary Anderson, commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Insurance, to approve or disapprove the rates of dental benefit plans and establishes a medical loss ratio of 83 percent for dental payers.
Opponents of the ballot question say it would raise the cost of care; benefit dentists, not patients; and kick smaller insurers out of the market.