The California Dental Association has sponsored multiple bills related to assignment of benefits, network adequacy and virtual credit cards, according to a Feb. 20 news release from the CDA.
Here are seven things to know:
1. Assembly Bill 371 would require dental benefit plans in California to comply with enrollees' assignment of benefits requests.
2. Currently, dental plans are less likely to approve assignment of benefits requests for patients compared to medical plans. The bill is co-sponsored by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists.
3. In addition, AB 371 would create higher standards for determining the network adequacy of commercial dental plans.
4. Dental plans are not held to the same requirement as medical plans when it comes to network coverage, which can lead to dental patients having to travel long distances to receive dental care.
5. AB 371 and Senate Bill 386 would provide dentists with an easier way to opt out of dental plans' using virtual credit cards.
6. In 2024, the California legislature passed a bill to protect dentists from virtual credit cards, but it was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
7. SB 386 is a revised version of the bill passed in 2024. The main difference is that SB 386 would not apply if a dentist's plan contract specifically addresses the type of payment method for services rendered.