COLUMN: Encouraging our legislators to make dental insurance work for Oklahomans

It's no secret that inflation and rising prices are affecting many areas of our lives.

As we all stretch to make every dollar count, I'm encouraged that Sen. John Michael Montgomery and other members of the Oklahoma Legislature are working to ensure the hard-earned dollars that Oklahomans spend on dental insurance are used for patients, not profits.

Nearly half of American adults say it's difficult to afford health care costs, and they are more likely to put off oral health care than any other type of care. Skipping dental care can have serious consequences, not just for oral health but for overall health and well-being, with poor oral health linked to conditions such as strokes, as well as poorer academic performance and employment challenges.

As a dentist who has practiced in Lawton for the last 27 years, I've seen the challenges dental insurance has caused for my patients. For more than two decades, I've witnessed their premiums rise while the maximum benefits paid to patients have not kept pace.

Like most small businesses, dentists are facing rising costs for everything from basic dental supplies to the technology required to treat patients most effectively, and the wages to attract and retain talented employees to support our practices. The result of our current system is patients are being forced to cover a larger share of the cost of their oral healthcare or forgo needed treatment altogether.

To avoid these outcomes, we must ensure Oklahomans are receiving the benefits they deserve from their insurance coverage through their hard-earned premiums paid. Available data indicates that at least 25% of dental premium dollars are used by insurance companies to cover administrative costs, salaries, and profits, instead of being directed to patient care. Oklahomans deserve more for their premium dollars, but with no transparency and no minimum standard, there is no guarantee that insurance companies are doing or will do the right thing.

The Dental Insurance Transparency Act (HB 1694), authored by Rep. Marcus McEntire and Sen. Montgomery, sets a standard that provides fairness, transparency and ensuring a level playing field for everyone. This bill received unanimous approval from the Oklahoma House of Representatives and is now being considered by the Oklahoma Senate.

This bill requires at least 80 percent of premium dollars be spent on patient care, which inhibits the incentive to deny paying for needed benefits. It will also hold down premium costs as any surplus would be returned to premium payers. This concept, known as Medical Loss Ratio, already exists for health insurance plans. It only makes sense to have the same standards for dental benefit plans.

Like health insurance, many Oklahomans receive dental insurance coverage through their employer and cannot simply switch carriers to one that may provide better value.

Along with my colleagues and our patients, I am grateful to Sen. Montgomery for his support of the Dental Insurance Transparency Act, and we encourage all state senators to get this across the finish line and ensure dental insurance companies put patient care over corporate profits.

Dr. C. Todd Bridges, DDS, Lawton