The American Dental Association is urging federal lawmakers to pursue transparency policies that strengthen payer accountability and improve the patient experience.
Five notes:
- In a June 9 letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, ADA President Richard Rosato, DMD, and Executive Director Nader Nadershahi, DDS, weighed in on several transparency-related bills ahead of a subcommittee hearing on lowering healthcare costs.
- The ADA said it supports measures that help patients understand expected costs and improve oversight of health plans, but noted that payers control most of the information needed to determine what patients owe.
- The letter raised concerns about applying hospital-style transparency requirements to dental practices, arguing that publicly posting fee schedules or negotiated rates would not give patients an accurate picture of their out-of-pocket costs.
- The ADA instead suggested that dental payers be required to provide real-time, patient-specific coverage and cost-sharing information by CDT code, including deductibles, annual maximums, frequency limitations and expected plan payments.
- The letter also endorsed proposals to increase healthcare ownership reporting requirements and strengthen Medicare Advantage oversight.
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