Raleigh County board approves Bento as dental third-party administrator, effective July 1

The Raleigh County Board of Education approved Bento as the district’s third-party administrator for dental benefits, effective July 1, 2026, following a vendor review and presentation by benefits consultant USI.

Mike Baker and Dave Stason of USI Insurance Services reviewed an RFQ/RFP process that sought self-funded dental options and compared claims and network penetration among respondents including Ameritas, Bento, Delta Dental and United Concordia. USI told the board the district’s prior per-employee-per-month claims expense trended below comparable boards, which raised concerns about provider access and reimbursement rates. The consultants recommended a vendor that balanced budget constraints with improved access for employees.

Dr. Wells, identified in the meeting as the former head of the West Virginia Dental Association, and local dentists described how network participation typically increases after a school system announces a new program and said Bento’s model provides predictability for patients and providers.

"With Bento, you as the patient know exactly what your out-of-pocket is going to be and you as the practice know exactly what you're going to be paid," Dr. Wells said, describing the program’s transparency.

After the presentation the board moved and seconded a motion to approve Bento as the third-party administrative services provider; the motion carried on a voice vote with members saying "Aye." The board directed staff to proceed with implementation steps needed to make Bento the live administrator on July 1.

District presenters said Bento’s network-building work would continue after launch to contract additional local providers; they noted 18 local providers were not yet in-network and that outreach is underway.

The vote was recorded as a voice approval; no roll-call tally of yes/no votes was provided in the meeting record.