Several states this year have passed legislation or are considering legislation to expand dental coverage and change various dental insurance practices.
Here are 10 state bills affecting dentistry:
- An Illinois bill that would require dental insurance companies to cover dental visits immediately was passed in the state Senate. The bill currently sits with the state’s House of Representatives.
- The Arizona Senate passed a bill to expand the state’s adult Medicaid coverage to include comprehensive dental benefits. The bill currently sits with the state’s House of Representatives.
- A bill was introduced in the Alabama legislature that would require insurers in the state to allow beneficiaries to roll over unused dental benefits. The bill is sitting with the state’s House Insurance Committee.
- Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed a bill April 1 that requires dental insurers to honor patients’ written assignment of benefits.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Lloyd Doggett introduced bicameral legislation to expand access to dental, hearing and vision care under Medicare.
- North Carolina House Bill 60 was filed in February to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for dentists. The bill has not yet been passed by the state’s House of Representatives.
- The Dental and Optometric Care Access Act was introduced in February to lower the cost of dental care.
- California Assembly Bill 371 would require dental benefit plans in California to comply with enrollees’ assignment of benefits requests. The bill was recently referred to the state’s Committee on Appropriations.
- North Dakota Senate Bill 2231 would add dental coverage to the state’s Medicaid Expansion program, which supports adults who aren’t eligible for Medicaid but whose household income falls below 138% of the federal poverty line. The bill failed to make it through a House of Representatives reading in March.
- The Washington legislature recently passed a bill to require all dental insurance plans in the state to maintain a dental loss ratio of at least 85%.
