Massachusetts is taking a different tack in its approach to control fee capping by dental insurance companies. Gov. Deval Patrick intends to create a special commission to study the issue, according to a story in the Boston Globe.
House bill 4265, passed by the state Legislature in the final days of its 2012 session, would have banned health plans from contractually setting the fees dentists charge to patients who receive services that are not reimbursable under their own dental insurance.
But Patrick has yet to sign the bill into law, citing concerns that it might have the unintended effect of increasing costs to patients, according to the article.
He intends to create a commission to study the issue and make recommendations, telling the Globe that he agrees with lawmakers that dental insurance coverage is in need of reform.
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. In 2012, Nebraska, Ohio, and Pennsylvania moved forward with fee-capping initiatives. Similar legislation also has been introduced at the national level.
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