Assembly BillIntroducedHealth and Safety
AB 2029: Dental plan portal.
What AB 2029 does, verified April 22, 2026
This bill requires a dental plan or dental insurer to establish a dental portal that is accessible to treating dental providers. The portal must provide accurate, real-time benefit eligibility and benefits information in a clear format, include specified information about corresponding payments, and accept electronic attachments. The portal must also be available at no cost to both contracted and noncontracted dental providers. Additionally, the bill aims to improve transparency and reduce potential willful violations of the law.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. (2026-04-21)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions6 total · showing 5
| Apr. 21, 2026 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. |
| Mar. 23, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. |
| Mar. 19, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar. 19, 2026 | Referred to Com. on HEALTH. |
| Feb. 18, 2026 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 20. |
Latest bill textAmended version, March 19, 2026 · 1,757 words
| Amended IN Assembly March 19, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2029
| Introduced by Assembly Member Sharp-Collins |
February 17, 2026 |
An act to add Section 1374.190 to the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 10120.45 to the Insurance Code, relating to healing arts.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2029, as amended, Sharp-Collins. Dentistry. Dental plan portal.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act’s requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law sets forth requirements for a contract between a plan or insurer and a dentist and requires a plan or insurer to make specified disclosures to an enrollee or insured regarding noncovered dental services.
This bill would require a dental plan or dental insurer to establish a dental portal accessible to a treating dental provider to provide information regarding an enrollee’s contract or insured’s policy, including the actual payment or reimbursement amounts for covered services. The bill would require the portal to provide accurate, real-time benefit eligibility and benefits information in a clear and understandable format, provide specified information about a corresponding payment, accept attachments in an electronic format, and be made available at no cost to contracted and noncontracted dental providers, among other requirements. Because a willful violation of these provisions relative to health care service plans would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, establishes the Dental Board of California in the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate the practice of dentistry.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to subsequently enact legislation that would establish minimum standards for online dental provider information portals to require them to allow a user to verify eligibility, submit claims, access fee schedules, and obtain other critical information to promote transparency, efficiency, and timely access to information necessary for the delivery of dental care.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1374.190 is added to the Health and Safety Code, immediately following Section 1374.19, to read:1374.190.
(a) A dental plan shall establish a dental portal that shall be accessible to a treating dental provider and shall provide information regarding an enrollee’s plan contract, including the actual payment or reimbursement amounts for covered services and an estimate of the enrollee’s out-of-pocket costs at the procedure code level. The information in the portal shall include all of the following:(1) Effective and termination date of the plan contract.
(2) Claim address.
(3) Payer identification.
(4) A comprehensive list or procedure code-level lookup tool of all American Dental Association current dental terminology (CDT) codes to provide an accurate estimate of coverage and enrollee cost, including all of the following:
(A) Covered services.
(B) Applicability of in-network or out-of-network coinsurance percentage and amounts.
(C) If a deductible applies and to which services.
(D) Applicability of coordination of benefits and if they are standard or nonduplicating.
(E) Applicability of annual or lifetime maximums.
(F) Limitations on coverage due to the enrollee’s age.
(G) Limitations on coverage based on frequency of prior treatment, services rendered per visit, quadrants treated per visit, tooth number, or time period.
(H) Alternative benefits, bundling, or downcoding that apply.
(I) Applicability of a waiting period.
(J) Any prior authorization or documentation requirements or payment processing guidelines for any codes or services.
(5) The next available service date or previous service dates based on any frequency limits, waiting periods, or benefits, such as coverage for medical conditions or benefit rollover.
(6) Previous 12 months of processed and pending claims applied to the enrollee’s annual maximum or deductible to help determine the remaining annual benefit available.
(7) Expiration of the estimate provided.
(8) Claim status.
(b) The dental portal shall provide accurate, real-time benefit eligibility and benefits information in a clear and understandable format. It is the responsibility of the dental plan to ensure eligibility and benefits reporting is timely and accurate.
(c) The dental portal shall be able to accept attachments, including digital imaging and other documents or information supporting claims, in an electronic format with the initial electronic claim submission and any following submissions.
(d) The dental portal shall provide information about a corresponding payment that outlines all of the following individually per claim:
(1) The name of the enrollee.
(2) The date of service.
(3) The service code or description.
(4) The amount being paid.
(5) The claim number.
(6) Denial information, including the reasons for denial and other identifying information found on an explanation of benefits form.
(e) A dental plan shall ensure that the dental portal is all of the following:
(1) Compliant with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191) and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(2) Accessible 24 hours per day, seven days per week, except for reasonable maintenance periods.
(3) Made available at no cost to both contracted and noncontracted dental providers treating enrollees.
(f) A dental plan shall provide clear instructions and technical support for the dental portal.
(g) Failure to comply with this section shall result in sanctions as determined by the department pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 1390).
(h) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Dental plan” means a health care service plan offering a contract covering dental services, or a specialized health care service plan offering a contract covering dental services, pursuant to this chapter.
(2) “Dental portal” means an internet-based platform that provides resources and information to dental providers about enrollees’ eligibility, including estimates of coverage before treatment, the ability to track claims, and the ability to submit supporting documentation.
SEC. 2.
Section 10120.45 is added to the Insurance Code, to read:10120.45.
(a) A dental insurer shall establish a dental portal that shall be accessible to a treating dental provider and shall provide information regarding an insured’s policy, including the actual payment or reimbursement amounts for covered services and an estimate of the insured’s out-of-pocket costs at the procedure code level. The information in the portal shall include all of the following:(1) Effective and termination date of the policy.
(2) Claim address.
(3) Payer identification.
(4) A comprehensive list or procedure code-level lookup tool of all American Dental Association current dental terminology (CDT) codes to provide an accurate estimate of coverage and insured cost, including all of the following:
(A) Covered services.
(B) Applicability of in-network or out-of-network coinsurance percentage and amounts.
(C) If a deductible applies and to which services.
(D) Applicability of coordination of benefits and if they are standard or nonduplicating.
(E) Applicability of annual or lifetime maximums.
(F) Limitations on coverage due to the insured’s age.
(G) Limitations on coverage based on frequency of prior treatment, services rendered per visit, quadrants treated per visit, tooth number, or time period.
(H) Alternative benefits, bundling, or downcoding that apply.
(I) Applicability of a waiting period.
(J) Any prior authorization or documentation requirements or payment processing guidelines for any codes or services.
(5) The next available service date or previous service dates based on any frequency limits, waiting periods, or benefits, such as coverage for medical conditions or benefit rollover.
(6) Previous 12 months of processed and pending claims applied to the insured’s annual maximum or deductible to help determine the remaining annual benefit available.
(7) Expiration of the estimate provided.
(8) Claim status.
(b) The dental portal shall provide accurate, real-time benefit eligibility and benefits information in a clear and understandable format. It is the responsibility of the dental insurer to ensure eligibility and benefits reporting is timely and accurate.
(c) The dental portal shall be able to accept attachments, including digital imaging and other documents or information supporting claims, in an electronic format with the initial electronic claim submission and any following submissions.
(d) The dental portal shall provide information about a corresponding payment that outlines all of the following individually per claim:
(1) The name of the insured.
(2) The date of service.
(3) The service code or description.
(4) The amount being paid.
(5) The claim number.
(6) Denial information, including the reasons for denial and other identifying information found on an explanation of benefits form.
(e) A dental insurer shall ensure that the dental portal is all of the following:
(1) Compliant with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191) and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(2) Accessible 24 hours per day, seven days per week, except for reasonable maintenance periods.
(3) Made available at no cost to both contracted and noncontracted dental providers treating insureds.
(f) A dental insurer shall provide clear instructions and technical support for the dental portal.
(g) Failure to comply with this section shall result in sanctions as determined by the department.
(h) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Dental insurer” means a health insurer offering a policy covering dental services, or a specialized health insurer offering a policy covering dental services, pursuant to this chapter.
(2) “Dental portal” means an internet-based platform that provides resources and information to dental providers about insureds’ eligibility, including estimates of coverage before treatment, the ability to track claims, and the ability to submit supporting documentation.
SEC. 3.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.It is the intent of the Legislature to subsequently enact legislation that would establish minimum standards for online dental provider information portals to require them to allow a user to verify eligibility, submit claims, access fee schedules, and obtain other critical information to promote transparency, efficiency, and timely access to information necessary for the delivery of dental care.
Text of AB 2029 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions