Three more U.S. states are moving forward with fee-capping legislation that will impact dental insurance providers, according to the Academy of General Dentistry's state advocacy page.
On April 5, the governor of Nebraska signed LB 810 into law. The new regulations prohibit insurance companies from including a provision establishing or limiting fees charged for dental services that are not covered by their plan.
Legislators in Ohio have introduced SB 324, which prohibits a health insurer from reimbursing dental providers based upon a fee schedule if the services provided are not covered by any contract or participating provider agreement between the health insurer and the provider.
And in Pennsylvania, legislators are considering SB 1144, which defines covered dentist services and then prohibits insurers from setting fees for noncovered dentist services. The bill passed the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance on April 2 and is now awaiting a hearing by the full Senate.
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.
