HB 121-DENTAL CARE INSURANCE Number 0880 CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG announced that the next item of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 121, "An Act relating to patients' rights under a health care insurance plan or contract providing coverage for dental care, and prohibiting certain practices by health care insurers relating to dental care." REPRESENTATIVE HALCRO made a motion to adopt the proposed CS for HB 121, Version K [1-LS0454\K, Ford, 4/12/00] as the working document before the committee. REPRESENTATIVE BRICE objected and asked that it be clarified for the record whether Version K was the same as Version M. PATRICIA SWENSON, Staff to Representative Con Bunde, Alaska State Legislature, testified on behalf of Representative Bunde, the bill's sponsor. She confirmed that Version K and Version M are exactly alike. REPRESENTATIVE BRICE withdrew his objection. CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG declared that Version K was before the committee. Number 0919 MS. SWENSON read: HB 121 sets out the rights of dental health care consumers. This bill specifically allows consumers to choose any dentist they wish to see including a specialist, prohibits insurers from reimbursing a covered person at a different rate because of the person's choice of dentist, gives covered people the right to receive full information regarding their care options without fearing adverse actions from insurance companies, and allows patients to take civil action against health care insurers to enforce their rights, and requires any dental treatment plan review or utilization review to be conducted by a dentist. MS. SWENSON said that is what the bill did last year, and that there has been some language change this year. She asked if there was previous committee action that needed to be rescinded. CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG said the committee had adopted a [proposed] CS, and asked her to proceed with reviewing the changes. Number 1010 MS. SWENSON said this bill seems to satisfy the objections of the labor unions and "everybody else involved last year." The changes were brought to Representative Bunde. She had been told that everybody has agreed to the changes and signed them. MS. SWENSON explained that the first change was on page 2, lines 8 through 13. This allows people to choose a dentist outside the plan and the dentist can be reimbursed at the same rate as a provider in the preferred provider organization (PPO), but depending on the plan, the person may have to pay a higher deductible because the dentist is not in the PPO. MS. SWENSON said the next change is on page 2, lines 24 through 26. It says a dentist who treats a covered person may not waive uncovered dental expenses for which the person has liability because a covered person chooses a dentist outside the network or preferred provider organization. The other changes, she said, are in the definitions section. CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG observed that this is similar to another bill. MS. SWENSON concurred. CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG explained that this is basically a point-of- service provision that allows for a slight adjustment in the copayment. Number 1170 REPRESENTATIVE HALCRO moved to rescind the committee's failure to move HB 121 out of committee. There being no objection, it was so ordered. REPRESENTATIVE HALCRO again moved to adopt HB 121, Version K, as the working document before the committee. There being no objection, it was so ordered. REPRESENTATIVE HALCRO made a motion to move the CS for HB 121 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying (updated) fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 121(L&C) moved out of the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.