The ADA is commenting on competition in the dental insurance market, applauding the Department of Justice’s renewed focus on competition in health care and offering its perspective on how historically limited competition in dental insurance harms patients and dental professionals.
In a May 21 letter, the Association outlined the factors contributing to this issue and recommended actions to promote fair competition and protect consumers. Specifically, the letter highlights:
- The role of the McCarran-Ferguson Act’s antitrust exemption in shaping the dental insurance landscape.
- The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2020 and its implications for dental insurance.
- State laws and regulatory structures that may reinforce anticompetitive practices.
- The practical consequences for dental providers and patients of a market with few competitors.
“We write in a policy-focused, technical spirit, urging [the anticompetitive regulations] task force to take steps that ensure dental insurance markets serve the public interest, not just entrenched incumbents,” ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., and Interim Executive Director Elizabeth Shapiro, D.D.S., J.D., said in the letter.
Source: ADA urges DOJ to enforce health insurance antitrust reform / ADA News