A proposal that passed the North Carolina Senate to allow private equity and hedge funds to own and operate dental practices not run by licensed North Carolina dentists has hit a roadblock, according to a June 20 report from NC Health News.
The state House of Representatives recently passed its spending plan, but did not include language similar to the Senate to permit private equity and hedge funds into the state’s dental industry.
The North Carolina dental board allows for DSOs in the state, but requires that every practice is owned by either a dentist or dentists who are licensed in North Carolina.
Private equity’s permission is one of the differences the state House and Senate have about the state’s spending plan for the next two fiscal years.
Legislative leaders have said that the two chambers are far apart on many issues, including the change impacting dentistry in the state.
The next North Carolina fiscal year begins July 1, the report said.
