Provides that no contract between a dental plan or other healthcare entity and a dentist requires the dentist to accept exclusively by virtual credit cards.

Plain-English Summary

This bill addresses how dentists get paid by insurance companies and other healthcare organizations. Right now, some contracts between dental insurance plans and dentists require the dentist to accept payment *only* through virtual credit cards — a digital payment method where a one-time credit card number is generated for each transaction. This bill would make it illegal for those contracts to include that kind of requirement, giving dentists the right to receive payment through other methods if they prefer.

The main reason this matters is that virtual credit cards typically come with processing fees, usually around 2-3%, that the dentist's office must pay to receive the money. When a dentist is forced to accept *only* virtual credit cards, they effectively receive less money than what the insurance company agreed to pay them, since the fees are deducted automatically. This bill would ensure dentists have the freedom to negotiate or choose alternative payment methods — such as direct bank transfers or checks — that don't carry those same costs.

This bill primarily affects dentists and dental practices across Rhode Island, as well as dental insurance plans and other healthcare entities that contract with them. Patients may be indirectly affected if the change influences the financial health of dental practices or their willingness to participate in certain insurance networks. The bill has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and is currently being held for further study.