Question 2 could significantly alter dental insurance industry

Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA)

The Berkshire Eagle

Big changes could be on the horizon for the state's dental industry.

Voters are being asked this November to decide whether Massachusetts should be the first state in the country to regulate dental insurance premiums by requiring plans to spend at least 83 percent of premiums on care.

Here's what a "Yes" and a "No" vote mean on Question 2, and what supporters and opponents of the proposed law have to say:

YES

According to the Secretary of State's website, a yes vote "would regulate dental insurance rates, including by requiring companies to spend at least 83% of premiums on member dental expenses and quality improvements instead of administrative expenses, and by making other changes to dental insurance regulations."

A no vote would leave the law unaltered.

WHAT PROPONENTS SAY

Orthodontist Mouhab Rizkallah helped get the initiative on the ballot by paying $500,000 last year to hire signature gatherers, according to The Boston Globe. This year, around 40 dentists have contributed.

Earlier this month, 13 lawmakers declared their support for the ballot question. The Committee on Dental Insurance Quality announced the support from Reps. Jessica Giannino, Steven Ultrino, Jeffrey Turco, James Arciero, Brandy Fluker-Oakley, Rob Consalvo, Steve Owens, Tram Nguyen, Michael Kushmerek, and Ted Philips, as well as Sens. Barry Fine-gold, Paul Feeney, and Walter Timilty.

"These legislators know they can prevent corporations from putting their own wealth above their constituents' health by voting YES on Question 2," committee spokesman Chris Keohan said in a statement. Keohan said other lawmakers contacted the campaign after the endorsements were announced to say that they also back the proposal. Additional legislative endorsement announcements are expected.

WHAT OPPONENTS SAY

Delta Dental has emerged as the main opponent to the ballot question, and the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans argued in March that implementation of the proposed medical loss ratio on dental plans would lead to higher premiums and increased costs for employers offering dental coverage.

The opponents, funded by dental plans like Delta, have leaned heavily on a June study produced by Milliman Research that suggested under one scenario in order to break even, the average medium-sized plan would need to increase premiums 38 percent and boost claims payments by 63 percent, all while reducing overhead 10 percent just to break even.

The Committee to Protect Access to Quality Dental Care used those figures to conduct a survey that found 57.2 percent of businesses would be "somewhat likely" to decrease employer contributions and 52.3 percent would look to reduce benefits if premiums went up that high.

State House News Service contributed to this report.