Does Health Safety Net Cover Dental? Services, Costs, and Eligibility

Yes. The Health Safety Net does cover dental care in Massachusetts, but with real limits: it pays only for specific adult dental procedures, only when you receive them at a community health center that offers dental services, and only if you meet the income and residency rules. HSN is not insurance. It is a state-funded program that pays participating providers for care given to uninsured and underinsured residents.

Dental Services HSN Pays For

HSN covers “certain adult dental services” that were dropped from MassHealth during past budget cuts and have not been fully restored.¹ The eligible procedures are the ones listed in Subchapter 6 of the MassHealth Dental Manual, plus additional adult dental services not otherwise covered by MassHealth.²

The categories in the dental manual include:

Diagnostic exams and X-rays
Preventive care: cleanings, fluoride, sealants, space maintainers
Fillings, both amalgam and composite
Crowns, including porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and cast metal
Root canals and related endodontic work, including pulpotomies, retreatments, and apicoectomies
Periodontal services such as scaling and root planing
Complete and partial dentures, plus repairs and relines
Oral surgery, including simple and surgical extractions and removal of impacted teeth
Orthodontic treatment, with codes covering both children and adults

Specific procedures within these categories may need prior authorization from the dental program administrator.³

What HSN Will Not Pay For

Cosmetic procedures, experimental treatments, and services that are not medically necessary are excluded.² MassHealth also notes that dental implants and bridges are not covered under its dental program.⁴ If a service is not on the dental manual’s procedure code list or is not medically necessary, HSN will not pay for it.

Where You Can Use HSN for Dental Care

HSN dental services are available only at community health centers that offer dental care. Private dental offices do not participate in HSN.¹ The state publishes a directory of HSN-active health centers, with locations in cities including Chicopee, Dorchester, Great Barrington, Harwich, Holyoke, and South Dennis.⁵ You can also search the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers directory or call MassHealth Dental Customer Service to find a site near you.⁴

Who Qualifies

To be eligible for HSN, you must live in Massachusetts and have a Modified Adjusted Gross Income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. The program is designed for people who are uninsured or underinsured. It can also pay as a secondary source when your primary insurance has no dental benefits, so if you carry private medical insurance without dental coverage, a participating community health center can still bill HSN for covered procedures.¹

Immigration status does not disqualify you. Undocumented residents who meet the income and residency rules are eligible.⁶

For the 2026 benefit year, 300% FPL works out to roughly:

1 person: $46,950
2 people: $63,450
3 people: $79,950
4 people: $96,450
5 people: $112,950

Add about $16,500 for each additional household member.⁷

What You Will Pay

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on where your income falls:

At or below 150% FPL: no deductible. HSN pays the full cost of eligible dental services at a participating health center.
Between 150.1% and 300% FPL: a deductible applies before HSN starts paying. The deductible is the higher of two figures: the current annual cost of the lowest ConnectorCare monthly premium, or 40% of the difference between your household’s lowest income and 200% of the federal poverty level.⁸

If you have a deductible, you pay the provider directly. Both paid and unpaid bills for HSN-covered services count toward meeting it. HSN itself does not track deductible payments, so you will need to coordinate with the health center to know when yours has been satisfied. There are no copayments on prescriptions under HSN.¹

How to Apply

HSN uses the same application as MassHealth: the Massachusetts Application for Health and Dental Coverage and Help Paying Costs. You can submit it online through the Massachusetts Health Connector portal, by mail, by fax, by phone, or in person at a MassHealth Enrollment Center or Health Connector walk-in center.⁹

Expect to provide Social Security numbers, proof of income such as pay stubs or tax returns, and documentation of citizenship or immigration status. If you cannot verify your identity online, you will need a government-issued ID or alternative documents.¹⁰ Many community health centers have enrollment staff who will help you apply on site.¹¹ HSN coverage must be renewed every year.¹

If You Have ConnectorCare

ConnectorCare enrollees have a specific interaction with HSN worth knowing. During the first 90 days after applying, you can use HSN for both medical and dental services. After that window closes, HSN medical eligibility ends, but you may still be eligible for HSN dental services at a community health center. If you lose ConnectorCare for not paying premiums, you also lose HSN medical coverage, but certain HSN dental services remain available.⁸¹

Recent Changes

As of April 1, 2025, BeneCare Dental Plans replaced DentaQuest as the third-party administrator for dental services under MassHealth, the Children’s Medical Security Plan, and HSN. The change is administrative, with no impact on eligibility or covered services. Members and providers can reach BeneCare at 844-MH-DENTL (844-643-3685) or through massdhp.org.¹²¹³

Governor Maura Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal includes a $1,000 annual cap on adult MassHealth dental coverage. There is currently no annual dollar cap on adult dental benefits, though services are subject to prior authorization and frequency limits. The proposal has drawn opposition from dentists and patient advocates, and if enacted it could push more MassHealth patients to seek dental care through HSN-eligible community health centers.¹⁴

1
Mass.gov. Health Safety Net for Patients
2
Mass.gov. 101 CMR 613.03 Health Safety Net Eligible Services
3
Mass.gov. MassHealth Dental Manual Subchapter 6
4
Mass.gov. Learn About MassHealth Dental Benefits
5
Mass.gov. HSN Health Center Locations
6
Massachusetts General Brigham. Understanding ACA and Immigrants
7
Massachusetts Health Connector. Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
8
Massachusetts Health Connector. Program Information
9
Mass.gov. Apply for MassHealth, the Health Safety Net, or the Children’s Medical Security Plan
10
Massachusetts Health Connector. Start Your Application
11
Lynn Community Health Center. Sliding Fee Discount Program
12
Mass.gov. Dental Bulletin 50: New Dental Third-Party Administrator
13
Mass Legal Services. Spring 2025 HSN and MassHealth Updates
14
Boston 25 News. Proposed $1K MassHealth Dental Cap Drawing Concern