The Wisconsin Dental Association today released the following statement from Executive Director Mark Paget:
“We have learned that the state Office of the Commissioner of Insurance has scheduled a public hearing on Delta Dental of Wisconsin’s proposed corporate restructuring following its purchase of Cherry Tree Dental, a dental service organization with several dental practices in the upper Midwest, primarily in Wisconsin. The hearing will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2 via Microsoft Teams.
“The purchase of Wisconsin dental practices by a dental insurance carrier is unprecedented, and having a single entity serving as both care provider and insurance payer raises valid questions about potential conflicts of interest. The WDA has heard from numerous dentists and members of the public who are concerned that treatment options at Delta-owned clinics may be driven more by what is cost- effective for the insurer than what is clinically best for patient health. There are also concerns that an insurance company could treat dental practices it owns differently from practices it doesn’t, with more favorable reimbursement rates and other benefits.
“Every Wisconsinite deserves access to transparent, high quality oral health care, and every dentist should be able to provide that care in the way they believe is best for their patients, free from unnecessary barriers or interference. We are hopeful that OCI will thoroughly review this case – and give serious consideration to testimony from the dental community and the public – to ensure it does not unfairly disadvantage patients or the providers who serve them.”
Details about the Oct. 2 hearing, including login information, can be found here. Written comments are also being accepted. Email OCICompanyLicensing@wisconsin.gov, with “Proposed Acquisition of Control of Delta Dental of Wisconsin, Inc. and Wyssta Insurance Company, Inc.” as the subject line.
