(Pictured L to R: Dr. Maggie Schaefer Gilpin, Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry, Eric Larson, Dr. Lawrence White)

Today, the Illinois State Dental Society (ISDS) joined House and Senate legislators to announce our “More for Your Smile” campaign. This initiative includes a legislative package that will help protect patients by increasing transparency and accountability for dental insurers while ensuring more patient dollars go to patient care.

The More for Your Smile legislative package accomplishes the following:

• Ensures Patient Dollars Directed to Patient Care: Protects patient dollars by requiring dental insurance carriers to spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on patient care rather than administrative costs, salaries, and profits. Carriers that do not meet this minimum standard would have to refund the difference to covered individuals and groups. Carriers would be required to disclose administrative costs and other financial information annually to the Department of Insurance.  This policy has demonstrated broad public support. In 2022, 72 percent of Massachusetts voters approved similar language at the ballot box. HB 2070 (Gong-Gershowitz)/SB 1287 (Fine).

• Requires Safeguards for Network Leasing:  Establishes safeguards for patients and dentists by requiring dental plans to be more transparent when leasing their dental networks and gives dentists certain negotiating capabilities while ensuring no provider is canceled for declining to participate in the new leased network.  HB 2072(Gong-Gershowitz)/SB 1288 (Fine).

• Bans Fees from “Virtual Credit Cards”: Protects dentists from incurring increased costs associated with Virtual Credit Card transaction fees. Currently, these transaction fees make reimbursement amounts lower than the negotiated rate and can be implemented without a dentist's consent.  HB 2071(Gong-Gershowitz)/SB 1289 (Fine).

ISDS would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Lawrence White, Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry, and Dr. Maggie Schaefer Gilpin for speaking at the press conference today. The doctors were able share their experiences, as well as their patient’s experience, about the difficulties of dental insurance. We thank them for sharing their story.

We encourage our members to go https://moreforyoursmile.com/ to learn more.