Rhode Island bill prohibits dental insurers from refusing payment directions and forcing virtual credit card fees

Original title: AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- UNFAIR CLAIMS SETTLEMENT PRACTICES ACT (Prohibits dental insurers from refusing to honor directions to pay from insured, modifying benefits to be paid. Requires providers to accept payment by virtual credit card as unfair claims practices.)

Last action · May 5, 2026: Meeting postponed (05/05/2026)Sponsors: Gallo and 9 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Rhode Island legislation prohibits dental insurers from refusing to honor insureds' directions to pay, altering benefits to be paid, or requiring providers to accept payment via s as part of .

Why it matters

Changes how dental insurance claims are settled and paid out, directly impacting transaction methods for dental providers and payment routing choices for insured patients.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Dental insurers

Dental insurers are prohibited from refusing payment directions, modifying benefits, and requiring virtual credit card payments.

Directly affected

Dental service providers

Dental providers are protected from being forced to accept virtual credit card payments.

Directly affected

Insured dental patients

Insured patients retain the ability to direct payments without insurer refusal.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can dental insurers require providers to accept virtual credit card payments under this bill?

No, requiring providers to accept payment by is classified as an unfair claims practice.

Does the bill affect an insured person's ability to direct payments?

Yes, it prohibits dental insurers from refusing to honor directions to pay from the insured.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the Senate.

Procedural history

3 actions

May 5, 2026
Meeting postponed (05/05/2026)
May 1, 2026
Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
Feb 6, 2026Introduced
Introduced, referred to Senate Health and Human Services

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →