Bill Description: Senate Bill 1124 imposes new regulations on the way dental plans do business with dentists.

Rating: -1

Amendment Analysis: The Amendment to Senate Bill 1124 does not change the rating or substantively change the analysis.

Does it give government any new, additional, or expanded power to prohibit, restrict, or regulate activities in the free market? Conversely, does it eliminate or reduce government intervention in the market?

Senate Bill 1124 amends sections 41-1849 and 41-3444, Idaho Code, to impose several new regulations on the contracts dental plans have with dentists. 

Specifically, the bill requires that "a person contracting with dentists must provide one (1) or more methods of payment or reimbursement that: (a) Provide the dentist one hundred percent (100%) of the contracted amount of the payment or reimbursement; and (b) Do not require the dentist to incur a fee to access the payment or reimbursement."

Additionally, the bill requires that "a person contracting with dentists may extend the provider network to other entities when: (a) Full disclosure of the agreement has been provided to the dentist, including any variations in obligations and fee schedule from the original contract; and (b) The dentist has been provided a timeframe of no less than two (2) weeks to decline participation."

The terms of business dealings and contracts should be set by the involved parties, not controlled or micromanaged by government. The market does not require central planning.

(-1)