Dentists have filed class-action lawsuits against Delta Dental in four states, alleging that the organization engaged in conduct that suppressed reimbursement rates and limited competition in the insurance market.
Four notes:
1. The lawsuits — filed April 30 in California, Wisconsin, Michigan and Massachusetts — follow developments in a federal antitrust lawsuit filed in 2019, according to a May 13 news release from the American Dental Association.
2. The federal case alleges that Delta Dental engaged in several anticompetitive practices within its state subsidiaries, including suppressing reimbursement rates and fixing prices for dental services, costing dental providers $13 billion. The plaintiffs sought class certification for all dental providers who had been reimbursed by Delta Dental since Oct. 11, 2015, but that request was denied by an Illinois federal judge in September. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit also declined to immediately review that decision in December.
Source: Class-action lawsuits filed against Delta Dental in 4 states / Becker’s Dental