SB295 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Paul Bussman

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Insurance, health insurance entity, quality rating system for dentists using cost of services, prohibited, criteria for quality rating system

Summary

The bill would bar health insurance entities from using dentists' costs to rate dentists and would set standards for any quality rating system.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits a health insurance entity from establishing a quality rating system for dentists based on cost of services. It requires that any quality rating system be based only on verified, transparent, fair data that is accessible to dentists and consumers and disclosed to the public. The data must come from nationally recognized evidence-based or consensus-based guidelines and include patient population characteristics, with enough dental record verification to ensure accuracy. The act would take effect on the first day of the third month after it becomes law.

Who It Affects

• Health insurance entities that provide dental coverage would be prohibited from using cost data to establish a quality rating system for dentists (and would need to ensure any rating system follows the specified criteria).
• Dentists and consumers would be affected by requirements for transparency and public disclosure of rating data, and by the need for ratings to be based on verified, guideline-backed data that accounts for patient characteristics.

Key Provisions

• Prohibit a health insurance entity from establishing a quality rating system for dentists using cost of services.
• Establish criteria for any quality rating system, requiring verified, transparent, fair data, public disclosure, accessibility to dentists and consumers, basis in recognized guidelines, inclusion of patient population characteristics, and dental-record verifications to ensure accuracy.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Insurance