Ill. adopts dental fee-capping legislation

Illinois has become the latest state to block fee capping by dental insurance providers, according to the Academy of General Dentistry's state advocacy page.

Senate Bill 3242, signed by Gov. Pat Quinn on July 13, 2012, prohibits insurance companies from requiring a dentist to provide services to policyholders at a fee set by the insurer, unless those services are covered under the policyholder agreement. The new law takes effect January 1, 2013.

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. And earlier this year, Nebraska, Ohio, and Pennsylvania moved forward with their own fee-capping initiatives. Similar legislation also has been introduced at the national level.