PPE reimbursement legislation introduced in Ohio House

On May 27, Representative Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) introduced legislation that would require dental insurers to pay for a portion of expenses related to dentists’ additional PPE costs in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. House Bill 681 requires that health benefit plans that provide coverage for dental care services “shall provide a reimbursement to dentists” for “personal protective equipment necessary to provide those services with minimal risk of disease transmission.”  The reimbursement required under the bill “shall be a standard fee made on a per date of service, per patient basis.” These same requirements would also apply to Medicaid reimbursements as well.  

 

ODA president-elect and Akron-area oral surgeon Dr. David Kimberly stated that he is very appreciative of Representative Roemer’s willingness to take on this very important issue, stating “as dentists across Ohio take additional steps to ensure their patients are protected, it only makes sense that dental insurers share some of the costs related to ensuring the safety of their policyholders.”  

 

Information on House Bill 681 can be found by clicking here. 

 

The ODA has also asked Ohio based dental insurers and Ohio Medicaid to increase reimbursement levels to reflect the higher costs of PPE. Various payers have indicated that they’re considering different options to address the issue and, in fact, a few dental insurers have already acted but not all.

 

The ODA will continue to provide updates on HB 681 and PPE reimbursements.