New regulations have come into play this year that will affect how dental practices operate and how patient care is delivered.
Here are four areas where new legislation is impacting dentistry:
Private equity
Several states have either adopted or proposed new private equity laws this year that could have significant impacts on mergers and acquisitions in the dental space. For example, California recently passed a bill that expands the attorney general’s powers to take action against corporate entities that interfere with medical and dental practices, including patient care decisions and coding and billing procedures. Pennsylvania also passed legislation to expand the attorney general’s authority to review and potentially block healthcare mergers and acquisitions.
Teledentistry
Teledentistry has come under scrutiny as states pass laws requiring dental professionals to conduct in-person examinations before beginning orthodontic treatment. Oklahoma, Georgia, Nevada, Florida, Illinois, Utah and West Virginia. South Carolina also advanced a similar bill last month. The American Association of Orthodontists has advocated for these bills in the interest of patient health and safety, while the American Telemedicine Association has criticized the bills as being anti-competitive and limiting accessibility.
Insurance
Eighteen states have passed a total of 37 dental insurance reform laws so far this year, according to the American Dental Association. The most common insurance issues addressed this year include dental loss ratios, virtual credit cards, assignment of benefits and improvements to provider credentialing processes. Twenty states also introduced bills to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in claim payment adjudication, with Arizona and Maryland successfully enacting legislation. Overall, more than 120 legislative proposals have been filed this year.
Fluoride
Several states have implemented or are considering bans on community water fluoridation after the National Toxicology Program concluded in a report that higher levels of fluoride exposure are associated with lower IQ in children. Many dentists have shared concerns about what these actions could mean for patients’ dental health, while state and national organizations continue to share the benefits of community water fluoridation.
