I’m Dr. Max Martinez, president of the California Dental Association. You’ve heard quite a bit about dental benefit plans in CDA communications recently because we know they’re a daily source of pressure for our members. As your peer and one of your volunteer leaders in organized dentistry, I see and I feel the need for relief.
Today, I want to share just a few of the initiatives we’ve taken up on your behalf.
There’s been good and bad news on the dental plan reform front recently. Both the wins and discouragements have further strengthened our resolve to improve conditions that strain dental practices and the delivery of care.
The good news: California dentists finally have clear choices and real protection when dealing with virtual credit cards for your insurance benefit payments.
Last year, we secured bipartisan support from the California Legislature. (yes, both Assembly and Senate, Republicans and Democrats unanimously passed the bill), but it was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. We did not give up! We continued to fight, brought it back, and I am happy to announce that the governor recently signed CDA-sponsored SB 386, which prohibits dental plans from using any payment method that includes a fee as the default payment method when reimbursing dentists the amount they’re owed for your contracted services.
Under the new law (effective April 1, 2026), dental plans must provide an easy way for dentists to opt in and out of virtual credit card payments. This ensures dentists receive full payment for dental services they provide.
Thank you to the local dental societies who originally brought this issue to us and to our House of Delegates. (Yes, we heard YOU!) Also a special thanks to our dedicated legislative advocacy team at CDA who moved this bill forward over the past two years. But it also took you — more than 700 CDA members who joined our calls to action. Members: thank you to all of you. This is your membership dues at work, which will make a measurable difference in the productivity of practices of every size.
This win shines a light on the predatory and unfair practices across a rigged system: stagnant reimbursement rates, plans that don’t provide meaningful benefits and contract provisions that are burdensome to our practices and our patients.
And that’s why our fight is on many fronts: legal, legislative, economic and public health.
In more good news, the CDA Board is appointing a new workgroup focused on comprehensive dental plan reform. The workgroup, composed of dentists across the state and supported by industry experts, will fully focus on what CDA can do. This includes developing a plan structure and coverage standards to effectively meet the needs of dentists, patients and employers. We will also analyze existing plan models and costs and drive discussions with brokers and employers who make purchasing decisions.
While we are making positive improvements to dental plan payer behaviors through our advocacy efforts, it is increasingly clear that the plans that exist today fall short of providing the coverage for the care patients need and sustainable reimbursement for dentists. And the courts, regulators and Legislature have limited powers to change that. In my opinion our dental insurance system is broken. This doesn’t mean we have to accept the status quo.
With 11 impactful bills signed into law in recent years and more initiatives underway, we have remarkable momentum. As you can tell, I’m fired up for this fight! Stay connected to CDA for ways that you can join in our reform efforts moving forward. It’s time to build a better dental plan.
Stay tuned. Until we meet again, have a great day and remember to live each day with passion!
Learn more about CDA’s dental plan reform efforts in the Dental Plan Action Center.