Preventive dental care

AN ACT Relating to advancing oral health equity and protecting 1
access to preventive dental care amid federal and private sector 2
coverage restrictions; adding a new section to chapter 48.43 RCW; and 3
creating a new section. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that:6
(a) Access to preventive dental care is essential to maintaining 7
oral health and overall health and preventing the progression of oral 8
disease that requires more invasive, costly treatment;9
(b) Untreated oral health issues are strongly linked to systemic 10
health conditions, such as diabetes, early-onset Alzheimer's, 11
cardiovascular disease, pregnancy complications, and respiratory 12
illness. By improving access to early preventive intervention, 13
progression of these chronic conditions can be mitigated, and the 14
long-term health of Washington patients is improved; and15
(c) Recent federal actions propose removing or restricting 16
fluoride, including the federal food and drug administration's 17
consideration of pulling ingestible fluoride supplements for children 18
and efforts to scale back community water fluoridation. National 19
dental leaders from the American dental association and the American 20
academy of pediatric dentistry have warned that such policies would 21
H-2410.3
HOUSE BILL 2522
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Thai, Valdez, Parshley, Ormsby, Donaghy, Fosse,
and Callan
Read first time 01/16/26. Referred to Committee on Health Care &
Wellness.
p. 1 HB 2522
unravel decades of public health progress and disproportionately harm 1
vulnerable populations. Yet, at the same time these federal actions 2
are being considered, some dental benefit carriers continue to impose 3
age, frequency, and other limitations on coverage for preventive 4
dental care even when patient benefit dollars remain available. These 5
combined federal and private sector actions create unnecessary 6
barriers to essential preventive dental services, such as fluoride 7
application, placement of sealants, and oral cancer screenings.8
(2) Therefore, the legislature seeks to improve access to 9
preventive dental care by requiring carriers to cover preventive 10
dental services, regardless of age or other limitation, to promote 11
the prevention of oral disease as well as improve equity and systemic 12
health. 13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 48.43 14
RCW to read as follows: 15
(1) The treating dentist, in consultation with the covered 16
person, shall determine preventive dental services that are medically 17
necessary and appropriate, consistent with, or not to exceed, the 18
established, or recognized, standard of care. A health carrier 19
offering a dental only plan may not restrict or override such 20
determinations by imposing age restrictions or frequency limitations.21
(2) When a health carrier offering a dental only plan requires an 22
adjunctive service for reimbursement of a separate preventive dental 23
service, the health carrier must reimburse the provider for both 24
services provided. 25
(3) For purposes of this section: 26
(a) "Health carrier," in addition to the definition in RCW 27
48.43.005, also includes health care service contractors, limited 28
health care service contractors, and disability insurers offering 29
dental only coverage; and 30
(b) "Preventive dental services" includes dental prophylaxis, 31
application of fluoride varnish, placement of sealants, oral hygiene 32
instruction, application of silver diamine fluoride, application of 33
nano-hydroxyapatite, preventive resin restoration, and oral cancer 34
screenings. 35
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p. 2 HB 2522