A bill introduced to the Illinois House of Representatives Feb. 6 would add provisions to the Illinois Dental Practice Act related to third-party financing, JD Supra reported Feb. 14.
House Bill 489 would require dental office employees to provide patients with a written treatment plan and a good faith estimate of charges before offering or arranging open-end credit, a line of credit or a third-party loan.
For cases in which the patient is covered by a dental plan accepted by the dentist, the treatment plan must indicate the plan’s share of cost for each service. However, if the dentist does not accept a patient's dental plan, the treatment plan must indicate that the treatment may or may not be covered and that the patient has the right to confirm benefits before beginning treatment.
Among other stipulations, the bill would also prohibit dental offices from charging open-end credit, a line of credit or a third-party loan for services not yet rendered.
The legislation would go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, if passed.