Over the weekend, the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) approved model legislation championed by the ADA that would protect patients’ investment in their dental care. This gives state legislatures a framework to create laws that would require dental insurance companies to spend a set percentage of premium dollars on patient care - also known as a "dental loss ratio." 
 
This is the fifth model legislation states can now utilize to hold dental insurers accountable by mandating that they disclose the percentage of premium dollars spent on patient care. By agreeing to the model legislation, the dental insurance industry conceded that it may be appropriate to establish loss ratios on dental plans. 
 
Prior to the dental loss ratio model legislation, the ADA successfully worked with NCOIL on four other issues of benefit to dentists and patients: non-covered services, freedom in network leasing, virtual credit cards and prior authorizations. More than 100 state laws have been passed on these issues as a result of model legislation combined with state dental society advocacy efforts. 
 
To find out more about how model legislation provides legitimacy for legislators in your state, visit ADA.org/DLR.