Change Healthcare, a large healthcare technology company, suffered a cyberattack Feb. 21, which is having a trickle-down effect on dental organizations.

Sixty-five percent of dental patients at private dental practices are covered by private insurance, compared to 20% of patients at dental school clinics, according to a new report from the American Dental Education Association.

Dental loss ratios are picking up steam across the U.S. as states introduce legislation and dental organizations press federal agencies to create ratios for dental plans. 

Lawmakers in Rhode Island reintroduced the Fair Share for Dental Care Act to improve dental insurance transparency.

A bill has been introduced in the California Senate to diminish the "predatory" practices of dental plans and virtual credit card companies toward dentists.

Dental offices in California had a total economic impact of $69.28 billion in 2022, the highest of any state, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Dentists in the U.S. had an average total economic impact of $2.36 million in 2022, according to data from the American Dental Association.

A bill introduced to the Illinois House of Representatives Feb. 6 would add provisions to the Illinois Dental Practice Act related to third-party financing, JD Supra reported Feb. 14.

Here are six updates about Medicaid and Medicare since Jan. 23 that dentists should know:

The Nebraska legislature recently advanced a bill that would increase reimbursement for dental Medicaid services, The Unicameral Update reported Feb. 7. 

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce requested the Government Accountability Office to investigate the state of consolidation and vertical integration in the dental insurance industry.

Nearly 300 million Americans were enrolled in dental coverage in 2022, according to a new report from the National Association of Dental Plans. 

The National Council of Insurance Legislators, a group of state lawmakers focused on insurance law, adopted model legislation for a dental loss ratio, with language approved by the American Dental Association and National Association of Dental Plans.

The Georgia General Assembly is weighing a bill that would provide a tax break to dentists and doctors that move to rural areas of the state, according to a Jan. 28 report by Rome News-Tribune.

Dental societies in nine states have introduced legislation in 2024 to implement a dental loss ratio.

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry received a nearly $1 million grant to examine the effect Virginia's Medicaid dental policies have on access and use of care. 

Members of the Indiana Senate presented SB 132, which establishes accountability for dental insurers in the state.

The American Dental Association showed its support for the removal of a current prohibition of adult dental coverage proposed by CMS.

Dental insurance carriers will be subject to a medical loss ratio in Massachusetts starting Jan. 1, according to a Dec. 28 report by local news station WPRI.

Here are 22 updates on dental Medicare and Medicaid that Becker's reported on in 2023: