The Ohio legislature passed SB 40, which, among other provisions, aims to end insurance companies’ artificial fee caps in the dental industry. Under this legislation, dentists can now directly negotiate fees with patients for services not covered by insurance. Before any dental work is performed, dentists are required to provide estimated service costs. The bill also mandates that health plan issuers inform covered individuals about potential out-of-pocket expenses for non-covered dental care and prohibits contracting entities from imposing payment amounts on providers for these services.
Violations of these rules are considered unfair and deceptive practices, with penalties including professional discipline for non-compliance. Additionally, dental care providers must disclose pricing and relevant details for non-covered services
