The American Dental Association (ADA) has expressed strong opposition to Delta Dental of California’s new proposal to introduce an additional $15 fee for dentists who prefer to receive their checks via mail.¹

Officially deemed a “separate administrative charge,” the policy change was announced in Delta Dental’s recent newsletter and would affect practices in California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. 

To put this into perspective, clinicians who receive paper checks will rack up nearly $800 in additional fees within a single year. If all 112,000 dentists participating in Delta Dental’s PPO network were subject to this policy and each operated a practice that continued receiving paper checks, the administrative fees would bring in more than $87 million annually for Delta Dental.³ 

How this policy impacts patients

Dentists who prefer paper checks are not the only ones impacted by this policy. According to the ADA, the extra fees involved in sending paper checks can increase health-care costs for patients. The administrative burdens that can result from switching to EFTs will also take time away from patient care.

Chair of the ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs, Dr. Shelley Olson, warns clinicians that EFTs are not the frictionless, “free” solutions to modernize payment they may initially seem to be. “Charging for paper checks increases the costs for patients to receive health care and for providers to administer it,” she said in the ADA’s press release. “While as an Association we support administrative simplification, mandates by payers are not the solution.” 

Delta Dental’s PPO network includes more than 112,000 participating dentists practicing in more than 278,000 locations nationwide.² As one of the largest dental insurance networks in the US, Delta has the ability to influence both patient care and payment options, which is a level of market influence the ADA has been publicly outspoken against in the past.

In 2025, the ADA noted that such a large entity monopolizing dental insurance and care will lead to profit maximization. As a result, providing patients with options that are advantageous to their oral health may get put on the backburner. 

How you can incite change

The ADA ardently believes in dentists’ ability to choose their preferred payment method without incurring extra costs and that they should receive the full value of reimbursement owed. The organization urged the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to stand by their side in a July 8 letter. 

In this letter, ADA President Dr. Richard Rosato and Executive Director Dr. Nader Nadershahi said, “Most dental practices operate as small businesses, so increases in administrative costs and demands on staff labor have a more acute impact. Supporting choice for providers, who are best equipped to understand the needs of the practices where they work, ensures that these practices remain viable in all settings, both urban and rural, and maintaining choice supports broad access for consumers.” 

For dentists who also support regulatory oversight, the ADA recommends three actionable steps:¹ 

• Contact Delta Dental of California to express their concerns.

• Reach out to their state insurance commissioner regarding payment practices that may limit provider choice or impose fees on providers receiving claim payments. 

• Review and advocate for state-specific payment legislation. 

Ultimately, many oral health leaders are wary that Delta’s new policy will become a headache for practices, which can trickle down to patients and negatively impact the patient experience.

With Delta’s widespread influence across the dental industry, the policy will either cost clinicians who continue receiving paper checks more money or create administrative disruptions as practices transition to an EFT model. Whether this policy remains isolated or serves as a model for future payer policies will likely determine its long-term impact on both dental practices and the patients they serve.

References

1. Versaci MB. ADA opposes insurance companies charging for paper checks. July 9, 2026. ADA News.  https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2026/july/ada-opposes-insurance-companies-charging-for-paper-checks/

2. Understanding PPO dental benefit plans. Delta Dental.  https://www.deltadental.com/protect-my-smile/dental-insurance-101/ppo-dental-insurance/