2010-Apr-22 - dentists instill fear in lawma

"DRill, baby, drill" took on a new meaning last week when hundreds of dentists descended on the state Capitol to give insurance companies a swift kick in the teeth.

Forced to take sides, legislators overwhelmingly chose the men and women in white coats bearing tiny tubes of toothpaste. The $622,000 that dentists gave in 2009's campaigns helped win votes. But dentists had an even more powerful tool at their disposal: fear.

Many lawmakers heard from their own dentists. An insurance lobbyist said one legislator complained, "I have a serious fear of dental work, and I know I'll be back in his chair."

Sen. Yvonne Miller of Norfolk lamented that if she voted against the legisation , "My dentist is going to kill me." He got her vote.

Neither side is likely to win much public sympathy. But a victory for dentists will ultimately mean higher bills for patients with insurance. In a year when the nation is struggling to find a solution to rising health care costs, Virginia's legislators seem determined to push them even higher.

What dentists are seeking - and are almost certain to Fendi Replica Handbags get - is a law that bans insurance companies from demanding that dentists give discounts for certain procedures even though they're not covered by a patient's policy.

About 2 million Virginians have dental insurance, which typically covers routine cleaning, fillings and X-rays. Crowns, implants and whitening are often out-of-pocket expenses. But some companies negotiate lower fees for such services as an added benefit for members of their group policies. Dentists who want to be part of the network say they have little choice but to agree. If they refuse, they may lose patients to recent dental school graduates more willing to accept those conditions in order to tap into an insurance company's patient base.

Dentists warn that coerced discounts will force them to use cheaper dental appliances and equipment.

"We are attempting to prevent the greed of insurance companies from ruining a wonderful profession and the world-class level of care that we deliver to our patients," said Michael Morgan, a Virginia Beach dentist. "We're not trying to increase our fees. We're trying to defend ourselves."

Insurance companies aren't the only powerful interests that hate the dentist bill. A lobbyist for Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding and the president of the Virginia AFL-CIO testified together against the measure during a committee Omega Replica Watches meeting last week, a rare occurrence. The state government employees association, major manufacturers and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce joined the effort, to no avail. Businesses fear that their employees will demand more expansive (and expensive) insurance if their discounts disappear.

Hugh Keogh, president of the state chamber, had an appointment to have his gums scraped hours before he was scheduled to speak against the bill. It turned out his periodontist was planning to attend the same meeting to support the measure.

"I assured him the chamber was not in the lead on that issue," Keogh said with a chuckle. "It did give me pause, and I can imagine legislators are feeling the same way."

Christina Nuckols is an editorial writer for The Virginian- Pilot. E-mail her at christina.nuckols@

pilotonline.com.