Maine Dental Service Corporation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010286541
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Concord, NH, USA
Phone
6032231000
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$197,795,238
Expenses
$196,103,650
Assets
$86,384,684
Liabilities
$7,793,442

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Thomas Raffio (DDPNH President & CEO)
  • Laurie Bienefeld (DDPNH Vice President of Finance)

Highest reported compensation

  • Thomas Raffio (DDPNH President & CEO): $1,185,129 total reported compensation
  • Laurie Bienefeld (DDPNH Vice President of Finance): $287,584 total reported compensation
  • Jeffrey R Walawender DDS (Chair & Director): $33,781 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

It is our mission to advance the oral health and overall wellness of our customers and the general public by providing innovative benefits and professional partnerships through diversified strategic business and philanthropic initiatives.

What it reported doing in 2024

Maine Dental Service Corporation, Inc. advances and promotes the improvement of oral health by offering innovative, cost effective dental benefits plans that meet the needs of our customers by integrating activities such as cost management policies, fee reduction agreements with dentists, ensuring quality and cost effective dental benefit delivery, and accurate and timely claims payment. We are recognized for our expertise in the dental benefits industry, the vibrancy of our participating dentist network, and our strong brand. Program services include the processing and payment of claims for dental benefits for various large and small groups, as well as individuals and families. Maine Dental Service Corporation, Inc. processed approximately 901,000 claims in 2024. There are approximately 444,900 members in Maine included in the various plans. Customer's expectations for quality standards are extremely rigorous and we provide a guarantee of service called GOSE, or Guarantee of Service Excellence, which guarantees seven key service claims: (1) smooth implementation to Northeast Delta Dental; (2) exceptional customer service; (3) quick processing of claims; (4) no inappropriate billing by participating dentists; (5) accurate and quick turnaround of identification cards; (6) timely employee booklets; and (7) marketing service contracts. In the event one or more of these service guarantees are not met, a cash reimbursement is provided.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 98% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Member-benefit provider. The nonprofit used 95% of its reported program spending for member benefits.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 68
  • Accountability: 60
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.5%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 91%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 46.7%; rating input score 47; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.9%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.44; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.8%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.5% of revenue deployed · 91% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 15 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $178.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.2M · 19 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.5M reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes grants and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 24 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 47/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.