Thirteen Lawmakers Back Dental Care Question

Thirteen lawmakers declared their support Wednesday for the ballot question directing dental insurance companies to allocate 83 percent of premium revenue toward patient care. The Committee on Dental Insurance Quality announced the support from Reps. Jessica Giannino, Steven Ultrino, Jeffrey Turco, James Arciero, Brandy Fluker-Oakley, Rob Consalvo, Steve Owens, Tram Nguyen, Michael Kushmerek, and Ted Philips, as well as Sens. Barry Finegold, Paul Feeney, and Walter Timilty. “These legislators know they can prevent corporations from putting their own wealth above their constituents’ health by voting YES on Question 2,” committee spokesman Chris Keohan said in a statement. Keohan said other lawmakers contacted the campaign after the endorsements were announced to say that they also back the proposal. Additional legislative endorsement announcements are expected. Delta Dental has emerged as the main opponent to the ballot question, and the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans argued in March that implementation of the proposed medical loss ratio on dental plans would lead to higher premiums and increased costs for employers offering dental coverage. – Michael P. Norton