Aspen Dental Management, Inc., reached a $3.5 million settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office on Thursday resolving allegations of “bait-and-switch advertising campaigns” from the dental chain, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claimed that Aspen Dental engaged in a multi-faceted scheme to deceive consumers into purchasing dental services and products advertised as “free,” and that it worked with “all” insurance when it did not accept MassHealth.
“Deceptive advertisements like these can harm our most vulnerable patients looking for affordable dental care,” Acting Attorney General Bessie Dewar said in a statement. “Today’s settlement prevents misleading advertising by Aspen Dental and puts money back in the hands of impacted patients.”
The lawsuit also claimed Aspen Dental violated the state Consumer Protection Law. A consent judgment, entered in Suffolk Superior Court and settled the lawsuit, follows an April 2022 court order that prohibited Aspen Dental from running “all insurance” advertisements without adequate disclosures, the attorney general’s office said.
Out of the $3.5 million, up to $750,000 will go back to patients who paid for new patient examinations, X-rays and oral cancer screenings at any of the Massachusetts Aspen Dental-branded offices.
Any advertising that references “free” services, that Aspen Dental works with “all” insurance or indications of “no hidden fees” is prohibited per the settlement.
The lawsuit was filed in December...
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