Bill Description: House Bill 729 would create a new regulatory scheme for Idaho dental plans.
Rating: -3
Does it create, expand, or enlarge any agency, board, program, function, or activity of government? Conversely, does it eliminate or curtail the size or scope of government?
House Bill 729 would create Chapter 67, Title 41, Idaho Code, titled the “Idaho Dental Plan Transparency Act.”
This act would require the Idaho Department of Insurance to annually review, publish, and make publicly available in a searchable format the Dental Loss Ratio (DLR) reports submitted by dental health care service plans. This adds new oversight, data management, and public disclosure responsibilities to an existing agency, increasing its scope.
(-1)
Does it give government any new, additional, or expanded power to prohibit, restrict, or regulate activities in the free market? Conversely, does it eliminate or reduce government intervention in the market?
The act would mandate that dental health care service plans file detailed annual DLR reports, including calculations of premiums and expenditures, under threat of department oversight and potential verification demands. This increases government intervention in how private insurers operate and disclose financial data.
By expanding state regulatory reach into private contracts and business operations, and compelling private entities to disclose detailed financial data to the government for public dissemination, the bill infringes on private property rights and contractual freedom.
(-1)
Does it increase government spending (for objectionable purposes) or debt? Conversely, does it decrease government spending or debt?
Under the act, the Department of Insurance will need resources to review reports, verify data, maintain a public website, and handle submissions—adding administrative overhead without specifying funding sources.
The bill’s fiscal note acknowledges that “The Department of Insurance may incur minor administrative costs related to data collection and public reporting.”
(-1)
