SB 258-DENTAL CARE INSURANCE  1:58:36 PM CHAIR PASKVAN announced SB 258 to be up for consideration. He moved to adopt CSSB 258() 26-LS1418\R. There were no objections and it was so ordered. 1:59:58 PM SHARON LONG, staff to Senator Huggins, sponsor of SB 258, said the committee substitute (CS) is a result of a lot of work on this bill since it was last heard. The dental professionals, the insurance industry and small business worked together to clarify the provisions of the bill and craft a compromise which satisfies the original aims of the measure. She drew their attention to a new letter from the National Federation of Independent Business Alaska removing their opposition to the bill. 2:01:07 PM DR. JOHN WOHLER, DDS, representing himself and the Alaska Dental Society, Fairbanks, said he thought that CSSB 278() would benefit everybody involved. The bill adds an option for contracts with a dentist to limit fees on non-covered dental services under managed care. Dental insurances will benefit from increased access to providers who otherwise nationally are opting out of these contracts. This will give dentists a lot more options within their practice to incorporate good contract language and policies. Managed care patients will be able to stay with their current dentist and it will reduce barriers to access in Alaska by keeping providers from opting out of the network. DR. WOHLER said the CS is also going to increase the predictability of costs for services from network providers and the costs will be easier for the dental patient to follow. With this language they expect to see more dentists opting in. He said that patients who don't have managed care will also benefit because it will reduce cost shifting. He explained that a lot of times when dentists get dental work or health care at cost (think of emergency rooms) the money doesn't go away, it is just shifted on to other paying patients. The managed care insurance companies themselves are going to benefit because they will have a larger number of participating providers that they can market to their audience and have a better product to market. They will also have an ability to market savings and increase provider participation under managed care plans for those providers who do opt in to fee scheduling for non-covered services. Obviously, he said the dentist benefits from having the ability to join the network without having the insurance company dictate fees for services that aren't being paid a benefit. If they do already participate in a contract they have a choice to opt in or opt out of a contract that caps fees for non-covered services. 2:05:05 PM SENATOR BUNDE asked if the recently passed federal health care bill includes dental care and if it does how would that impact this legislation. MR. WOHLER replied that he didn't think it affected dentists. 2:06:11 PM DR. DAVID LOGAN, DDS, Alaska Dental Society, Juneau, agreed with Dr. Wohler's comments. He said the CS represents a collaborative effort between the Dental Society and the industry. They are happy with the CS and said he would answer questions. CHAIR PASKVAN found no questions. 2:07:21 PM CHAIR PASKVAN closed public testimony. 2:08:16 PM SENATOR THOMAS moved to report CSSB 258(L&C) from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered. 2:08:54 PM CHAIR PASKVAN called an at ease for signing from 2:08-2:11 p.m.