The lawsuit was filed by the attorney general in December 2021, alleging that Aspen Dental violated the state Consumer Protection Law and the assurances the DSO made to the attorney general’s office in a 2014 settlement addressing similar conduct, according to the release.
The lawsuit alleges that the DSO carried out several deceptive advertising and marketing practices. These include charging patients for services it advertised as free and advertising that it worked with all insurance when it did not accept the Massachusetts Medicaid program that includes dental coverage, MassHealth, according to the release.
Under the settlement, Aspen Dental will pay $3.5 million, including returning up to $750,000 to patients who paid for new patient examinations, X-rays and oral cancer screenings at its Massachusetts offices.
The settlement also prohibits Aspen Dental from using misleading advertisements stating that it offers free services, works with all insurance companies or has no hidden fees.
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