The bill, H.B. No. 335, amends Section 1451.206(a) of the Insurance Code to establish new requirements for employee benefit plans and health insurance policies regarding payments and reimbursements for both contracting and noncontracting provider dentists. Specifically, it mandates that these plans must provide one or more methods of payment or reimbursement that ensure dentists receive 100 percent of the contracted amount without incurring any fees to access these payments. Additionally, the bill allows beneficiaries of the plan to assign their right to payment or reimbursement directly to the dentist providing the services.

The bill also includes a provision that it will only apply to health benefit plans that are delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. Plans that are delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before this date will continue to be governed by the existing law prior to the enactment of this bill. The effective date for this legislation is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Insurance Code 1451.206 (Insurance Code 1451)