SC mulls fee-capping legislation

Lawmakers in South Carolina have introduced new legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from capping fees on services they do not cover.

According to HB 4910, which was introduced on February 28, "a dental plan may not require a dentist who provides dental services to the subscribers of the plan to accept a fee set by the plan for a service that is not a covered service."

In addition, a healthcare service contractor or third-party administrator may not make a member of its network of dental care providers available to a dental plan that sets dental fees for a service that is not a covered service by the plan, according to the bill.

A similar bill, SB 0673, was introduced to the Senate in March 2011.

In recent years, several states have enacted similar legislation, including South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, Mississippi, Nebraska, Kansas, Idaho, Iowa, Alaska, Arizona, and Georgia. Similar legislation has also been introduced at the national level.