MA State Laws for Dental Professionals

Amalgam Regulations

Board of Registration in Dentistry (BORID)

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Act

Management of Medical or Biological Waste

Mandated Reporting Requirements

Massachusetts Use Tax

Paid Family and Medical Leave

To comply with the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) regulations, all Massachusetts employers are required to do the following:

Posting Requirement

Employers were required to display a poster describing PFML benefits in a highly visible location. The posting must be in English and also any other language that is the primary language of five or more employees.
The Department of Family and Medical Leave has produced a poster for employers to utilize (the poster is available in multiple languages).

Written Notice Requirement

Employers are required to provide written notice to their current workforce of PFML benefits, contribution rates, and other provisions as outlined in M.G.L. c. 175M sec. 4. Contribution rates and benefit amounts are updated annually.

New Employee Requirement

Employers must provide any new employee a notification form within 30 days of hire.
Employees are required to sign the form and return to the employer.

The MDS also recommends you reach out to your payroll provider and/or accountant to discuss the required payroll deductions related to this regulation. Payroll deductions must be provided to staff.

For more information, please view these additional resources:

Patients First Act

On January 1, 2022, Governor Baker signed the “Patients First Act” into law. This act requires health care providers, including dental providers, to tell patients how much they will pay for planned procedures in advance of the treatment — based on the patient’s specific dental insurance plan benefits. Starting July 31, 2022, the Department of Public Health may fine providers who fail to comply with the requirements with a penalty of up to $2,500 for each non-compliance.

If you have not done so already, we encourage providers to implement applicable procedures to meet the new notice and billing requirements to minimize the prospect of regulatory scrutiny. Please note:

If a dental provider is unable to quote a specific amount in advance of care due to the an inability to predict the course of treatment, the provider must disclose a maximum allowed amount for the service.
If the provider does not participate in the patient’s dental benefits plan, they must inform the patient at the time of booking that the patient will be responsible for the cost of service or you must advise the patient that they can seek treatment with another provider who participates in the dental plan for a possible lower treatment cost.
The MDS recommends that providers keep a copy of all patient communication regarding this process in the patient’s record.

Note: The MDS is actively engaged in legislative action related to this law, which we believe was not intended to apply to dental professionals.

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