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House Bill 3008: Insurance Transparency
Approved unanimously by the House, now in the Senate
ODA members spearheaded House Bill 3008 to improve transparency of dental plans and prevent surprise business costs, protect access to care, improve oral health outcomes and promote public understanding of health care costs. The bill does this in two important ways: through transparency in insurance practices involving provider networks and through transparency in the claims reimbursement process.
It would require dental plans to obtain a provider’s consent before selling or leasing out associated provider panels, and it would require dental plans to obtain a provider’s approval to opt in if receiving reimbursement payments via electronic credit cards rather than checks. Insurers would also need to communicate about credit card reimbursements.
The Oregon House approved HB 3008, sending it to the Senate.
House Bills 2996 and 3223: Removing Written Exam Requirements
Approved by the House, now in the Senate
Sponsored by dentists, Reps. Hai Pham and Cyrus Javadi, HB 2996 would enable dental assistants to obtain certification to perform radiography procedures through a combination of education and hands-on training – with proficiency verified by a licensed dentist or dental hygienist – rather than requiring completion of a written exam.
The bill aims to empower dental assistants to practice to the full extent of their training and experience by allowing them to establish proficiency without paying to take a written exam that many dentists feel does not affect the health and safety of patients, does not accurately reflect competency, and which can serve as an economic barrier to career advancement.
HB 3223 expands on HB 2996 by removing written testing requirements for dental assistants and instead outlining requirements for a licensed dentist to train their dental assistants, attest that they have completed a set of hands-on procedures, and move their application to the Oregon Board of Dentistry for final certification.
The House advanced both of these bills, moving them to the Senate for consideration.
House Bill 3007: Office of Oral Health
Approved in committee, now in Ways and Means
Also sponsored by Reps. Pham and Javadi, House Bill 3007 would establish an Office of Oral Health with an Oral Health Advisory Committee to support the Oregon Health Authority’s dental director. The Healthy Teeth, Bright Futures Coalition has been advocating for this bill to promote evidence-based oral health disease prevention across Oregon.
The House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care approved the bill, sending it to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
Other Dental Bills of Note
The ODA is tracking hundreds of bills in the 2023 Legislative Session. A few others to be aware of include:
House Bill 3090: Flavored Tobacco — Passed out of House Health Care Committee on a party line vote. It goes now to Ways and Means.
Senate Bill 412: Dental Lab Licensing — Passed out of committee. Now up for consideration in the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
Senate Bill 487: Funding for sealant programs and CDHCs — Moved out of committee. Now in Ways and Means.
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