Private equity dental chains raise prices while insurance refuses to cover rising costs

A journalist documented that private equity-owned dental chains have raised procedure costs to levels exceeding major surgery expenses, with dental insurance companies refusing to cover the increases and shifting costs to patients. Millions of Americans with dental insurance now pay out-of-pocket for basic procedures that should be covered under their plans. This reveals a systematic gap between what patients pay into dental insurance and what the industry actually covers, concentrating profits in private equity firms while stripping insurance of value. The story follows reporting trends showing how PE ownership of healthcare chains restructures pricing against consumer interest.