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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 25, 2017 01:54 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Stan Saylor |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Assignment of Benefits |
| In the near future, I plan to reintroduce HB 973 of 2015, which would direct insurance companies to pay a dentist directly for services rendered to a patient. This concept is known as assignment-of-benefits. Twenty-two other states have enacted similar legislation, which gives patients the right to choose their providers based on their preference, even if the dentist does not participate within the patient’s insurance plan. The bill specifically allows a patient to authorize payment of insurance benefits directly to the dental service provider in accordance with the provisions of their insurance policy. Payment to the dental service provider from the insurer may not exceed the amount that the insurer would otherwise have paid without the assignment of payment. Without assignment-of-benefits, patients are forced to pay for the full amount of the dental service upfront – which can be quite cost-prohibitive – or the dentist may risk performing a service without guarantee of payment. Assignment-of-benefits remedies this situation for all parties and thus improves access to care. If you have any questions, please contact my office. I look forward to your support of this legislation. |
Introduced as HB823