Legislators to Decide if Dental Patients will be Allowed to Speak

Whether or not patients will have an opportunity to weigh in on proposed legislation that would ensure that insurance premiums paid are spent more on dental care than on insurance company overhead – which is the opposite of what’s happening now - will be decided in the coming days at the State Capitol.

The legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, co-chaired by Rep. Kerry Wood (Rocky Hill, Wethersfield) and Sen. Jorge Cabrera (Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck, Woodbridge), will decide if the committee will conduct a public hearing on HB5813, allowing the views of Connecticut dental patients and their dentists from across the state to be heard.

The proposal is “not complicated, it’s common sense,” explains Kathlene Gerrity, Executive Director of the Connecticut State Dental Association. “Right now, as little as 40% of patient premiums go to dental care. As much as 60% goes to insurance company overhead – such as administration, marketing, and company profits. That’s really out of whack. Connecticut residents deserve better.”

Under the Federal Affordable Care Act, at least 80% of medical premiums must go to patient care. HB5813 would establish parity in how health insurance payments are treated, whether they are for medical insurance or dental insurance. As the proposed bill states, the bill would “establish the same … standard for dental insurers that currently applies to medical insurers.”

The legislation was proposed by one of the General Assembly’s longest serving legislators, Representative Mary Mushinsky of Wallingford, first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1980. Now a Deputy Speaker of the House, she has, over three decades, earned the respect of colleagues for sound judgement, bi-partisan leadership and commitment to the public good.

The proposal, dealing with what is called “medical loss ratio” in the industry, would also ensure transparency – insurance companies would be required to disclose how dental insurance premiums were spent, revealing the percentage paid for dental care and the percentage retained by the insurance company. That aspect of the proposed bill recognizes the public interest in transparency, which helps to highlight the public’s awareness of where their premium payments are going. If an insurance carrier failed to invest at least 85% of premiums to patient oral health, the difference would be refunded to the patient.

In Massachusetts, a similar proposal last November was met with 72% of voters in agreement that this parity for their dental needs was necessary. Connecticut residents deserve the same investment by insurance companies in their health as Massachusetts residents will have.

The proposed Connecticut legislation would similarly enact a minimum level for patient premiums to be allocated to dental health care, reversing the current lopsided allocation used by insurance companies. Waiting any longer will just mean that taxpayers will pay more out of pocket unnecessarily, giving one more year of premium dollars to insurance companies. This could mean several hundred dollars per household going directly to support insurance companies rather than essential health care.

“Prioritizing the patient is the best way I can describe this proposal,” said Dr. Bethaney Brenner, CSDA Board President and a dentist in Burlington, CT. “We believe it is essential for the public – including dentists and their patients - to have an opportunity to speak at a public hearing, providing legislators an opportunity to hear first-hand from their constituents on how they would prefer their premium payments be spent. In talking to my patients, I know they want their voices heard on this matter.”

“Nearly everyone is surprised – and quite outraged – to learn that as little as 40% of their premium goes to their dental care, particularly when so much more of what they pay in medical premiums goes to medical care,” Brenner said.

The Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA) was established in 1864 to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care from dental professionals. With a statewide membership of approximately 2,300 members, the CSDA represents 82% of all licensed dentists in Connecticut. The Connecticut State Dental Association supports the professional success of its members and assists them in providing optimal care to their patients.