The Kansas House of Representatives on March 11 will take up a bill to prohibit insurance companies from capping fees on procedures they don't cover. The bill, which passed 40-0 in the Kansas Senate, is similar to legislation under consideration in Virginia and Iowa.
The Kansas Dental Association (KDA) introduced the bill to block an approach being pursued by many Delta Dental plans that limits fees dentists can charge, even when they won't reimburse for the procedures, according to the Hays Daily News.
"There are overhead costs and things associated with running a dental office, and those things are considered, obviously, when fees are determined for an office," KDA Executive Director Kevin Robertson said, according to the newspaper. "We could see, in the future, a dental plan that covers a couple of cleanings a year, but then doesn't cover anything else. ... It just really becomes a discount plan."
While more than 90% of Kansas dentists accept Delta Delta insurance, a few have already dropped out because of fee capping, the newspaper reported.
The report said Delta Dental of Kansas has taken a "neutral stance" because its primary concern is competing with other insurers who have already implemented fee capping.
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