Permits reimbursement for dental hygienists from "other insurance" or a third-party payor such as Medicare.

Rhode Island Senate Bill: Dental Hygienist Insurance Reimbursement

This bill would allow dental hygienists in Rhode Island to be directly reimbursed for their services through insurance programs, including Medicare and other third-party payers. Currently, payment for dental hygienist services typically flows only through a dentist's billing, meaning hygienists cannot independently bill certain insurance programs for the work they perform. This legislation would change that by formally recognizing dental hygienists as providers eligible to receive payment directly from insurers.

The bill would primarily affect dental hygienists, patients, and insurance programs like Medicare. For dental hygienists, it could open up new opportunities to practice more independently and get paid for their services without necessarily routing billing through a supervising dentist. For patients — particularly seniors on Medicare — this could potentially improve access to dental and preventive oral health care by allowing a broader range of providers to be reimbursed for services. Dental practices and insurers would also need to adjust their billing and administrative processes to accommodate this change.

The bill has been introduced and referred to the Rhode Island Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken. No vote has occurred yet.