Press Release

New Report Highlights Detriments of Overregulated Dental Industry

Report addresses ways to curb rising dental healthcare costs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Taylor McCarty
tmccarty@alec.org
571-482-5023

Arlington, VA (February 28, 2017) – Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), finding efficient, affordable healthcare continues to be a struggle for many Americans. In no industry is this more true than in dentistry. The development of Dental Support Organizations (DSOs) offers a balance between the rising cost of care and decreasing access, according to a new report, Overregulation Threatens Market-Driven Solutions in Dentistry, released today by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Written by Mia Heck, the report discusses the poor state of dental care in the United States, and how DSOs are easing the economic burden. According to Heck, oral diseases are running rampant among poor children, the elderly and minorities. These groups are disproportionally affected by the rising cost of dental care.

“Regulatory overreach of our healthcare system can impact the market by discouraging new market entrants, decrease access and increase the cost of care,” said Heck, Director of the Health and Human Services Task Force at ALEC. “This has shown to be abundantly clear in some states regulatory overreach of dental support organizations. ALEC policies support enacting the least restrictive regulations necessary to protect consumers from present, significant and unsubstantiated harms that threaten public health and safety.”

The full report can be found here.

Overregulation Threatens Market-Driven Solutions in Dentistry exposes the damaging results of increased government control in the healthcare industry. By taking advantage of DSOs to outsource the non-clinical functions of dentist offices, affordable oral healthcare can become a reality for all Americans.

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The American Legislative Exchange Council is the largest nonprofit association of state legislators dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism. Nearly one quarter of all state legislators are members of ALEC and represent more than 60 million Americans. ALEC member companies, which range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, create roughly 30 million American jobs. To learn more, visit www.alec.org.


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