Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1174 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 335 FILED ON: 1/8/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1174
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Homar Gómez
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to create direct dental care agreements.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Homar Gómez2nd Hampshire1/8/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 335 FILED ON: 1/8/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1174
18	18	By Representative Gómez of Easthampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1174) of
19	19	Homar Gómez relative to direct dental care agreements. Financial Services.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE HOUSE, NO. 965 OF 2023-2024.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to create direct dental care agreements.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 Chapter 112 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 53 the
31	31	2following section:-
32	32	3 Section 53A. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context
33	33	4clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
34	34	5 “Dentist”, an individual licensed pursuant to sections 43 to 53, inclusive, to practice
35	35	6dentistry.
36	36	7 “Direct dental care”, the screening, assessment and diagnosis of oral health and disease.
37	37	8 “Direct dental care agreements”, an agreement for the delivery of direct dental care
38	38	9entered into between a dentist and patient pursuant to this section based on a periodic fee for 2 of 2
39	39	10certain services for a specified period of time, rather than a fee-for-service arrangement financed
40	40	11through dental insurance.
41	41	12 “Patient”, an individual contracting for dental care.
42	42	13 (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a dentist and a patient
43	43	14may enter into a direct dental care agreement for direct dental care. A direct dental care
44	44	15agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall: (i) describe the services to be provided in
45	45	16exchange for payment of a periodic fee; (ii) specify the periodic fee required and any additional
46	46	17fees that may be charged; (iii) specify that the termination of the agreement shall not affect any
47	47	18other agreement entered into pursuant to this section; and (iv) prohibit the dentist from
48	48	19submitting a fee-for-service claim for payment for services covered under the agreement.
49	49	20 (c) A dentist that enters into a direct dental care agreement pursuant to this section shall
50	50	21not be considered an insurance company and shall not be subject to the oversight of the division
51	51	22of insurance or subsection 5 of section 52A. A direct dental care agreement entered into
52	52	23pursuant to this section shall not be considered an insurance product or plan and shall not be
53	53	24subject to the oversight of the division of insurance or said subsection 5 of section 52A.