Gov. seeks study of dental insurance

BOSTON (AP) - Gov. Deval Patrick is calling for a special commission to study and recommend possible reforms in dental insurance coverage.

The governor announced his intention to seek creation of the special commission in a recent letter to the Legislature in which he told lawmakers he would not sign a bill passed in the final days of last year's legislative session.

The bill would have banned health plans from contractually setting the fees dentists charged to patients who receive services that are not reimbursable under their own dental insurance plans. An example might be when a patient has exhausted his benefit limit.

The governor said he agrees with lawmakers that dental insurance coverage is in need of reform, but was concerned that the bill might actually have the unintended effect of increasing costs to patients.