Sanborn bill eliminating waiting periods for children’s dental care sparks reform across New England

AUGUSTA—Northeast Delta Dental, a dental insurance provider, recently announced that it plans to eliminate waiting periods for children in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont covered by their plans to receive dental care. The move comes in the wake of a bill sponsored Sen. Heather Sanborn, D-Portland, that would prohibit waiting periods for children to receive care dental insurance plans in Maine. The bill, LD 1975, “An Act to Facilitate Dental Treatment for Children,” recently received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Maine Senate.

“My work on this bill has only reaffirmed what I already knew to be true: Waiting periods in children’s dental insurance plans are wrong and should be eliminated,” said Sen. Sanborn. “I’m glad that the strong, bipartisan support of this legislation here in Maine has encouraged Northeast Delta Dental to change their policy. It’s not too late for insurance providers to recognize this wrong and to correct it. I applaud their pre-emptive action in New Hampshire and Vermont.”

Alexandra Sosnowski, staff attorney at Northeast Delta Dental, issued the following statement:

“Northeast Delta Dental is pleased to support the passage of LD 1975, which will eliminate waiting periods for children to receive necessary dental care. This will allow Maine children to receive critical restorative care when they need it. We applaud Senator Sanborn for her leadership on this important health care issue. Northeast Delta Dental will also eliminate waiting periods for children on risk plans in New Hampshire and Vermont starting January 1, 2021.”

LD 1975 faces final votes in the Maine House and Senate before it heads to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills for consideration.

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