Virtual VoD #6: Nobody Told Me That! with Teresa Duncan

 Three Key Insurance Developments to Watch for 2021

The upcoming year is already looking remarkably busy on the insurance side. I wanted to give you three areas to watch that will affect your practice. Throughout the year I’ll keep you updated on this podcast and in my newsletter. I appreciate that you see me as a resource, and I will continue to monitor carrier and revenue cycle management news for the industry. Thanks for helping the podcast grow this past year – I very much appreciate you. Here’s to a fantastic 2021! 

Episode 68 talking points:

1. National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) adopting the ADA’s recommendations for dental insurance guidelines. Covered topics:
   1. Network clarity
   2. Virtual credit cards as payment
   3. Ensuring that pre-authorizations are held accountable when treatment is performed 
2. Legislation requiring pricing transparency in healthcare passed as part of the 2021 Budget Plan
   1. Lots of institutional opposition (hospitals and American Medical Association)
   2. Administrative burdens and concerns over lower provider fees are cited as reasons
   3. Judges are not so convinced: Why is an X-ray price 'unknowable?' (recent court case)
   4. Will it affect dental?
3. Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act 
   1. Overturns McCarran-Ferguson Act that removes antitrust restrictions from carriers
   2. Hopefully will encourage more competition in the carrier market 
   3. Did  insurance companies stop innovating because they didn’t need to? 
   4. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) predicts “more instability in the health insurance markets and, therefore, higher premiums.”

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Resources from this episode:

• National Council of Insurance Legislators approves model dental benefits legislation
• Surprise Medical Bills Cost Americans Millions. Congress Finally Banned Most of Them.
• Surprise Medical Billing Fix Included in COVID Relief Bill
• AHA seeks emergency relief to block enforcement of price transparency rule
• Congress passes Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act
• Congress acts to restore competition to health insurance by removing 75-year-old antitrust exemption
• https://www.naic.org/documents/government_relations_201202.pdf
• Podcast episode discussing the Delta Dental lawsuits

Links 

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• Teresa’s Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!) 
• Teresa’s Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations (use ‘newsletter’ for $3 off)