Dentists and insurers clash over payment method

Dentists and insurers in Indiana are in a heated debate over proposed changes in insurance coverage.

Several dental insurers have recently decided that they will pay patients directly if their dentist is not in their network, according to a news story by WTHR TV.

The insurance companies say this move will protect patients from balanced billing and higher costs, while dentists feel that the confusion and inconvenience resulting from it is a tactic to force them into joining networks, WTHR reported.

Dentists are urging the state to pass new legislation that will resolve this issue -- Senate Bill 75 and House Bill 1299.

These bills "would honor the patient's request," said Doug Bush of the Indiana Dental Association in the WTHR report. "If the patient wants the check to come to them, great. But if they want it to go directly to the doctor's office, so they don't have to pay upfront at the time of care, this bill would require them to do so. It's been passed in 22 states and we're hoping Indiana becomes the 23rd state."