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Improved Access to Dental and Optometric Care

This act aims to enhance access to dental and optometric services. It introduces changes that may affect how much you pay for dentist and optometrist visits, especially for services not fully covered by insurance. The goal is to provide greater transparency and control over treatment costs.
Key points
Doctors can charge for non-covered services at rates no higher than their standard fees for uninsured individuals.
For dental cleanings, even if exceeding annual insurance limits, dentists can only charge the contracted network fee.
Insurers cannot restrict doctors' choice of laboratories or suppliers for services and materials.
Agreements with insurers for dental and vision benefits can be extended beyond 2 years only with the doctor's prior acceptance.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
DOC Access Act of 2021
Print number: HR 3461
Sponsor: Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
Process start date: 2021-05-21
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
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Summary & Status

Key Questions about Improved Access to Dental and Optometric Care

A structured overview of the legislative process, official sources, status and civic context.

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is HR 3461.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-05-21.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Doctors can charge for non-covered services at rates no higher than their standard fees for uninsured individuals.
  • For dental cleanings, even if exceeding annual insurance limits, dentists can only charge the contracted network fee.
  • Insurers cannot restrict doctors' choice of laboratories or suppliers for services and materials.
  • Agreements with insurers for dental and vision benefits can be extended beyond 2 years only with the doctor's prior acceptance.

What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-28.

Analysis and Potential Impact of HR 3461

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge. Review our public AI processing logs for full transparency, and use Lustra to track active legislation for instant status push notifications.

CATEGORIES

Health