Bill > S807

This bill establishes a new chapter in Massachusetts law (Chapter 176X) governing dental insurance assignment of benefits, which allows patients with dental insurance to direct their insurance carrier to pay benefits directly to a dental care provider, even if that provider is not currently contracted with the insurance company. The bill defines key terms such as "carrier" (insurance providers), "dental benefit plans" (standalone dental coverage), and "written direction" (patient's formal request to assign benefits). Under the proposed law, if a patient provides written direction to their dental insurance plan, the insurer must pay benefits directly to the chosen dental care provider, and the payment must be at least equal to what would be paid to participating dentists. The insurance carrier retains the right to review the dental provider's records related to the specific patient to verify that the service was actually rendered. The bill specifically excludes certain types of insurance from this requirement, such as hospital indemnity, disability income, accident-only, long-term care, Medicare supplement, and other limited benefit policies. This legislation aims to provide patients with more flexibility in choosing their dental care providers and ensure fair compensation for those providers.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S807