The Florida Legislature passed two bills targeting predatory credit card payment processes and dental plan coverage.
Senate bill 892 and House bill 1219 allow dentists to opt-in to the virtual credit card payment process and ensure that dental plans cover pre-approved services, according to a press release from the Florida Dental Association shared with Becker's.
Dental plans often use virtual credit cards as the default payment method, which charge dental practices 3% to 5% service fees on each transaction on top of the fee for processing a payment through a credit card terminal.
"This predatory practice requires dentists to actively opt out of virtual credit card payments, often multiple times, which creates an administrative strain on dentists and their staff," said Beatriz Terry, DDS, president of the Florida Dental Association. "Many dental offices are small businesses, and these additional fees and overhead costs add up, creating an unnecessary and costly burden."
The two bills also address the process of dental practices appealing coverage denials and collecting payment for services that were previously authorized by a patient's dental plan by making sure that services that are pre-approved are covered by the plans.
SB 892 and HB 1219 were sponsored by Sen. Gayle Harrell and Rep. Dean Black, the release said.