Press Releases
Carter Introduces Legislation to Ensure Access to Quality Dental and Optometric Care
Washington,
March 17, 2017
Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) introduced the Dentists and Optometric Care Access (DOC Access) Act today to provide fairness in contracts between doctors and dental and vision insurers to increase the quality of care for patients and eliminate anti-competitive practices.
Current mandates in insurance provider agreements require doctors to charge patients unpredictable and unusual rates for services that are not covered under their vision or dental plans. The practice is especially troublesome in communities where a limited number of insurance plans control the market share and a provider has no choice but to accept an entire contract even if some terms harm their patients’ care and practice. The DOC Access Act allows dentists and optometrists to charge a fair and customary amount for the services that are not covered under an insurance plan rather than the insurer’s mandated fee schedule. “The DOC Access Act is critical to ensure doctors are able to meet patient needs,” said Carter. “By prohibiting insurance providers from forcing doctors to participate in restrictive insurance plans or networks, doctors will be able to charge reasonable fees for the care Americans need. This legislation is a strong and necessary step in bringing free market principles back into health care by removing anti-competitive business practices.” Thirty-nine states – including Georgia – have enacted similar legislation addressing the coverage and fees for non-covered services. However, many insurance providers are able to sidestep these laws because the offered plans are regulated on the federal level instead of on the state level. “This is really great news,” said Gary Roberts, D.D.S., president of the American Dental Association. “I want to personally thank Congressman Carter for introducing this bill. Dental insurance companies must be prohibited from interfering in the doctor-patient relationship by dictating prices for services they don’t even cover. While many states have passed similar laws, the Carter legislation would ensure the prohibition applies to plans regulated at the federal level.”
"The American Optometric Association is proud to join Representative Carter and Loebsack in supporting the DOC Access Act, legislation that will ensure that doctors and patients take back control of important, personal and personalized health care decisions from insurance and plan executives,” said AOA President Andrea P. Thau, O.D. “Reps. Carter and Loebsack have been unfaltering advocates for all-important patient access to the critical eye heath and vision care doctors of optometry provide and the DOC Access Act is an important step in preserving that access and holding insurers and plans accountable." The only pharmacist in Congress, Carter owned and operated community pharmacies for more than thirty years. Carter is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. |