The American Dental Affiliation (ADA) has expressed sturdy opposition to Delta Dental of California’s new proposal to introduce an extra $15 charge for dentists preferring to obtain their tests by means of mail.¹
Formally deemed a “separate administrative fee,” the coverage trade was once introduced in Delta Dental’s contemporary publication and would have an effect on practices in California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.
To position this into point of view, clinicians who obtain paper tests will rack up just about $800 in more charges inside of a unmarried 12 months. If all 112,000 dentists collaborating in Delta Dental’s PPO community have been matter to this coverage and each and every operated a convention that persisted receiving paper tests, the executive charges would deliver in additional than $87 million once a year for Delta Dental.³
How this coverage affects sufferers
Dentists preferring paper tests don’t seem to be the one ones impacted by way of this coverage. In step with the ADA, the additional charges serious about sending paper tests can build up health-care prices for sufferers. The executive burdens that may end result from switching to EFTs will even take time clear of affected person care.
Chair of the ADA Council on Dental Get advantages Techniques, Dr. Shelley Olson, warns clinicians that EFTs don’t seem to be the frictionless, “unfastened” answers to modernize fee they will to start with appear to be. “Charging for paper tests will increase the prices for sufferers to obtain fitness care and for suppliers to manage it,” she mentioned within the ADA’s press unencumber. “Whilst as an Affiliation we enhance administrative simplification, mandates by way of payers don’t seem to be the answer.”
Delta Dental’s PPO community contains greater than 112,000 collaborating dentists working towards in additional than 278,000 places national.2 As one of the crucial greatest dental insurance coverage networks in the United States, Delta has the power to persuade each affected person care and fee choices, which is a degree of marketplace affect the ADA has been publicly outspoken towards previously.
In 2025, the ADA famous that this kind of massive entity monopolizing dental insurance coverage and care will result in benefit maximization. In consequence, offering sufferers with choices which are wonderful to their oral fitness would possibly get put at the backburner.
How you’ll incite trade
The ADA ardently believes in dentists’ talent to make a choice their most well-liked fee means with out incurring additional prices and that they will have to obtain the whole price of compensation owed. The group instructed the Nationwide Affiliation of Insurance coverage Commissioners to face by way of their aspect in a July 8 letter.
On this letter, ADA President Dr. Richard Rosato and Govt Director Dr. Nader Nadershahi mentioned, “Maximum dental practices function as small companies, so will increase in administrative prices and calls for on group of workers exertions have a extra acute affect. Supporting selection for suppliers, who’re perfect supplied to grasp the wishes of the practices the place they paintings, guarantees that those practices stay viable in all settings, each city and rural, and keeping up selection helps extensive get admission to for shoppers.”
For dentists who additionally enhance regulatory oversight, the ADA recommends 3 actionable steps:1
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Touch Delta Dental of California to precise their considerations.
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Succeed in out to their state insurance coverage commissioner referring to fee practices that can prohibit supplier selection or impose charges on suppliers receiving declare bills.
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Assessment and suggest for state-specific fee law.
In the end, many oral fitness leaders are cautious that Delta’s new coverage will change into a headache for practices, which will trickle all the way down to sufferers and negatively affect the affected person enjoy.
With Delta’s standard affect around the dental business, the coverage will both price clinicians who proceed receiving paper tests more cash or create administrative disruptions as practices transition to an EFT type. Whether or not this coverage stays remoted or serves as a type for long term payer insurance policies will most probably resolve its long-term affect on each dental practices and the sufferers they serve.
References
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Versaci MB. ADA opposes insurance coverage agencies charging for paper tests. July 9, 2026. ADA Information. https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2026/july/ada-opposes-insurance-companies-charging-for-paper-checks/
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Working out PPO dental get advantages plans. Delta Dental. https://www.deltadental.com/protect-my-smile/dental-insurance-101/ppo-dental-insurance/
