More for Your Smile is a coalition of patients, dentists and oral health advocates who want to improve dental insurance benefits in Mississippi.
Neglecting dental care can have serious consequences, not only for oral health but also for overall health and wellbeing. We must minimize cost barriers between patients and oral health care. Let’s give patients the information they need to choose a quality dental plan!
THE ISSUES
The concern is that Mississippi’s dental benefits system is failing patients. Our state should ensure patients get the value they deserve from their dental benefits. Patient dollars should be spent on patient care and not insurance companies’ executive compensation, profits and administrative costs.
We’re talking about dental benefits, but it’s a benefit patients pay for. Patients have a right to know where and how their dental insurance premiums are spent.
During Mississippi’s 2026 Legislative Session, our coalition successfully advocated for the first step towards dental insurance reform – transparency in reporting by dental insurance companies.
House Bill 1117 was signed by Governor Tate Reeves on March 17, 2026, and immediately took effect. We appreciate the support of Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann; House Speaker Jason White; Senate Insurance Committee Chair Walter Michel, Vice Chair Scott DeLano, and the 11 other committee members; House Insurance Committee Chair Jerry Turner, Vice Chair William Tracy Arnold, and the 19 other committee members, including bill author Hank Zuber; and Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) Commissioner Mike Chaney, and all the Senators and Representatives who voted to pass the bill.
This legislation provides for transparency of patient premium expenditures for dental health care services. All carriers that renew, deliver or issue a dental health care service plan in Mississippi shall file a dental loss ratio annual report for the preceding calendar year with the MID Commissioner no later than June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter, no later than June 30 of each calendar year.
The filed report shall be made available to the public no later than December 1 of each calendar year. The MID will post the report in a searchable format on the department's website.
Transparency in reporting by dental insurance companies will give consumers and employers the knowledge to make informed choices when selecting a quality dental plan, but it’s only the beginning. The Mississippi Dental Association and its oral health care partners will continue advocating for additional dental insurance reforms.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
It’s time for Mississippi’s dental benefits to work for patients.
More Transparency
We believe you have the right to know where your dental insurance premiums go.
More Accountability
Dental insurance companies should be held responsible for how they spend your money.
More Value for Patients
Your hard earned money should directly benefit your care.
More for Your Smile Mississippi is advocating for patient-centered solutions.
Patients Over Profits
In Mississippi, dental insurance companies aren’t required to spend a specific portion of your premiums on dental care. They also don’t have to tell you how much of your money goes to care versus executive salaries or profits. Patients are left wondering where their hard-earned money is going while struggling to get the care they need.
Our proposed Dental Loss Ratio (DLR) legislation will change that. It will require dental insurance companies to spend at least 83% of your premiums on patient care and disclose how they’re using the rest. This will ensure more of your premium dollars go toward the care you need, not corporate profits.
Increase Benefits
Roll-Over Maximums
Currently, unused dental insurance benefits are lost at the end of each year, causing patients to lose out on the full value of their dental insurance plans.
Our proposed legislation will allow unused dental benefits to roll over into the following year.
This change will help patients use their benefits more effectively, reducing the need for rushed procedures and ensuring they get the most out of their insurance coverage.
Thank your legislators for taking the first step in dental insurance reform!
Thank your legislators for taking the first step in dental insurance reform!
Act now!
Add your voice to our efforts. We’ll send periodic communications about asking your legislator to support dental insurance reform policies.