# dental insurance prompt pay laws

Answer: It depends on the state and — critically — on whether the prompt-pay statute reaches dental at all: the widely-quoted numbers are usually the medical rules. Verified against statute text: Texas excludes dental benefits from its famous tiered-penalty chapter (dental insurers fall under a different 18%-damages statute; dental HMOs keep the tiers); D.C. excludes standalone dental entirely; Georgia's often-cited 18% was cut to 12% in 2011; Kentucky covers dental-only plans through a dedicated bridge statute with 12/18/21% tiered interest; North Carolina runs a flat 30-day deadline with 18% interest and its own definition that keeps dental in. And none of these statutes touch self-funded employer (ERISA) plans, which follow federal claim deadlines instead.

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Answer intent ID: `dental-prompt-pay-laws-by-state`
Cluster: Practice operations
Last verified: 2026-08-29
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## Direct answer

It depends on the state and — critically — on whether the prompt-pay statute reaches dental at all: the widely-quoted numbers are usually the medical rules. Verified against statute text: Texas excludes dental benefits from its famous tiered-penalty chapter (dental insurers fall under a different 18%-damages statute; dental HMOs keep the tiers); D.C. excludes standalone dental entirely; Georgia's often-cited 18% was cut to 12% in 2011; Kentucky covers dental-only plans through a dedicated bridge statute with 12/18/21% tiered interest; North Carolina runs a flat 30-day deadline with 18% interest and its own definition that keeps dental in. And none of these statutes touch self-funded employer (ERISA) plans, which follow federal claim deadlines instead.

## Query patterns

- dental insurance prompt pay laws
- how long does insurance have to pay a dental claim
- prompt pay law dental claims by state
- late dental claim payment interest

Source citations:
- `PROMPTPAY-TEXAS` Texas: Tex. Ins. Code §1301.002; §843.338; §843.342; Ch. 542 Subch. B. <https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/IN/htm/IN.1301.htm>
- `PROMPTPAY-NEW-JERSEY` New Jersey: N.J.A.C. 11:22-1.5; N.J.S.A. 17B:30-26 to -34. <https://regulations.justia.com/states/new-jersey/title-11/chapter-22/subchapter-1/section-11-22-1-5/>
- `PROMPTPAY-NORTH-CAROLINA` North Carolina: N.C. Gen. Stat. §58-3-225. <https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_58/GS_58-3-225.html>
- `PROMPTPAY-FLORIDA` Florida: Fla. Stat. §627.6131; §641.3155; §627.613; Ch. 636. <http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.6131.html>
- `PROMPTPAY-GEORGIA` Georgia: O.C.G.A. §33-24-59.5; §33-24-59.14. <https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-33/chapter-24/article-1/section-33-24-59-14/>
- `PROMPTPAY-MONTANA` Montana: Mont. Code Ann. §33-18-232; §33-18-231; §33-18-233. <https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0330/chapter_0180/part_0020/section_0320/0330-0180-0020-0320.html>
- `PROMPTPAY-KENTUCKY` Kentucky: KRS 304.17A-702; 304.17A-730; 304.17C-090. <https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=29329>
- `PROMPTPAY-INDIANA` Indiana: Ind. Code §27-8-5.7-6; §27-13-36.2-4. <https://iga.in.gov/laws/2025/ic/titles/27#27-8-5.7-6>
- `PROMPTPAY-RHODE-ISLAND` Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws §27-18-61 (parallel §§27-19-52, 27-20-47, 27-41-64). <https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE27/27-18/27-18-61.htm>
- `PROMPTPAY-DISTRICT-OF-COLUMBIA` District of Columbia: D.C. Code §31-3132; §31-3131. <https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/31-3132>

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