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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama Senate Bill 81 Establishes Dental Loss Ratios and Insurer Rebates
Last action · April 7, 2026: Currently Indefinitely PostponedSponsor: Larry Stutts
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill requires dental insurers to spend a minimum percentage of collected premiums on direct patient care—75 percent for individual plans and 83 percent for group plans—effective October 1, 2026. Insurers failing to meet these thresholds must issue rebates to policyholders, and report detailed financial information to the Commissioner of Insurance.
Policyholders enrolled in stand-alone dental benefit plans could receive cash refunds or premium credits if their insurer spends less than the mandated percentage of premium dollars on actual dental care services over a three-year rolling period.
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.
policyholders and subscribers
Policyholders are eligible to receive rebates or premium credits if their dental insurer fails to spend the mandatory percentage of premiums on claims.
dental insurers
Dental insurers must meet minimum loss ratio thresholds, submit periodic financial reports, and disburse rebates when claims payments fall short.
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
What happens if my dental insurance company spends too much money on overhead instead of patient care?
Are all dental plans covered under this bill?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died on the Senate floor.
Procedural history
5 actions- Apr 7, 2026SenateCurrently Indefinitely Postponed
- Mar 17, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Mar 17, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance
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 →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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