There have been a number of dental insurance and benefit bills passed throughout the first six months of 2024, including claims reviews and more protections for dentists.
While a number of states have passed new laws regarding dental insurance this year, the legislation has not been targeted toward the top complaints of many dentists.
Insurance reimbursement is always important for dentists, and stagnant rates can have a significant negative impact.
"I would like to see better reimbursements with higher limits than what was set back in the 1970s and hardly increased to keep up with inflation," said Charles Wolfe, DDS, a dentist in Easton, Pa.
With inflation rising and the reimbursement for dental services not keeping up there have only been a few states that have actually increased dental reimbursement rates, even with it being a major concern for dentists.
Some dentists have seen annual maximums barely increase throughout the years, which can leave patients unable to receive the care they need.
"One thing that I would change is the annual maximum coverage amount," said Vu Dang, DDS, a dentist in Sarasota, Fla. "Each insurance company has its own amount in different plans, but the annual maximum coverage amount has been the same for decades."
The maximum dollar benefit for patients has historically been low, with little increase over the past 40+ years," said David Graham, DMD, a dentist in Pittsburgh. "This is the biggest factor limiting insured patients from obtaining optimum care."
The insurance process itself is outdated for many dentists, with providers calling for an overhaul of the verification process and the breakdown of benefits.
"I have multiple team members who still have to call the insurance companies to verify insurance, check benefits, follow up on missed claims/payments, argue about denials and a multitude of other issues," said Raj Puri, DDS, a dentist in Wood Dale, Ill. "This antiquated way of doing business needs to be updated and changed for the patient and doctors."
Many dentists feel like the dental insurance industry is still not where they want it to be. A large portion of the legislation being passed, while improving the industry, is not dealing with the top priorities for dentists.