Massachusetts 2022 live election results: Ballot Question 2 (Dental insurance regulation) [masslive.com]

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Voters will decide Tuesday the fate of a statewide ballot question asking residents to weigh in on regulations pertaining to dental insurance companies.

According to a summary posted to the secretary of state’s website, the proposed law would require dental insurance carriers to spend at least 83% of premiums on members’ dental expenses and quality improvements rather than administrative expenses.

A yes vote, according to the secretary of state, would regulate dental issuance rates, and a no vote would make no change in the state law.

The Committee on Dental Insurance Quality, which backs the question, says a yes vote “expands consumer protection laws that already exist for medical insurance companies to dental insurance companies.”

“Similar to medical insurance, this law would require dental insurance companies to allocate at least 83% of paid premiums to patient care, or refund premiums to patients to meet this standard,” the committee argues.

The Committee to Protect Public Access to Quality Dental Care, which opposes the question, says approving the law “will increase costs for Massachusetts families and employers.”

“With consumer prices soaring, we don’t need a new regulation that will increase costs and decrease choice,” the committee says.

For more official information on the question, visit the secretary of state’s website.

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