A publication of the Council on Dental Legislation and K-D-PAC

Career Opportunity Fair

Dentists are invited to participate in the Kansas Dental Association’s annual Career Opportunity Fair (formerly the Comin’ and Goin’ Brunch).  If you are looking for an associate or dental hygienist to join your practice, a new practice opportunity, or to sell your practice this is an event that will provide you with one-on-one interaction with students, other dentists, practice brokers and others.

All University of Missouri Kansas City dental students have been invited to attend and please note this year dental hygiene students from UMKC and Johnson County Community College have also been invited.  To enable follow up communication, all participating dentists will be provided with a list of the attending students, while the students will be provided with a list of the attending dentists.

The basic registration fee for KDA members is $25.  Registration is $50 if you would like a table.  The registration fee includes continental breakfast.  Make plans to attend the KDA Career Opportunity Fair by registering at www.ksdental.org/career/career_fair.htm or contact the KDA office for a registration form. 

KDA Annual Meeting

It’s time to register for the KDA Annual Meeting April 19-21, 2007 in Manhattan.  The newly renovated Holiday Inn at the Campus and the KSU Alumni Center is the location for the meeting.  We are especially excited to have the “voice of the Chiefs,” Mitch Holthus, provide our opening Keynote Address on Friday morning.  The KDA has also booked Colbert Hills Golf Course for a scramble format golf tournament on the afternoon of Thursday, April 19 with “shotgun” start at 12:30 P.M.  Start putting together your golf teams and plan to join us!  To register or to get more information on the KDA Annual Meeting goto the KDA Annual Meeting link at the KDA website.  The agenda for the Annual Meeting is below

2007 KDA Annual Meeting - April 19-21, 2007

Thursday, April 19  - K-State Alumni Center

     9:00 am to Noon      Board of Delegates

              12:30 -5:30 pm        Golf at Colbert Hills

              4:30 – 6:00 pm        Welcome Social in Exhibit Hall

              7:30 pm                  Aggieville Olympics

Friday, April 20

              7:00 – 8:00 am        Past Presidents’ Breakfast

              8:00 – 9:00 am        Keynote Address by Mitch Holthus

              9:00 am – noon        Dr. Charles Blair (Practice Management)

                                           Dr. Johnathan Ferencz (Sponsored by Nobel Biocare)

                                           Dr. Paul Belvedere (Esthetics)

              Noon – 1:30 pm       Lunch

              1:30 – 4:30 pm        Dr. Charles Blair (Practice Management)

                                           Dr. Johnathan Ferencz (Sponsored by Nobel Biocare)

                                           Dr. Paul Belvedere (Esthetics)

              6:00 – 6:45 pm        President’s Cocktail Reception

6:45 – 9:00 pm        President’s Dinner Party

Saturday, April 21  - Holiday Inn at the Campus

              7:30 – 9:00 am        New Members Orientation Breakfast

              9:00 – noon             Dr. Dale Cipra (Prosthodontics)

                                           Lt. David Weed, Drug Program from KHPl

              Noon – 1:30 pm       K-D-PAC Luncheon (Congressman Jerry Moran Invited)

1:30 – 4:30 pm        KDA Annual Business Meeting followed by Board of Delegates

Dental Issues Status

The 2007 Legislative Session begins a new two-year session.  All Senate Bills (SB) will be new beginning with SB 1.  All House Bills (HB) will begin with HB 2001.

Dental Practice

SB 82 does not apply directly to dentistry, but the KDA is monitoring it very closely as it would allow would allow school of chiropractic medicine and osteopathy an exemption from the corporate practice prohibition in the healing arts act.  The bill has been passed by the full Senate.  A hearing been held in the House Committee on Health and Human Services. 

SB 176 is the bill that amends the dental hygienist Extended Care Permit (ECP) provisions passed in 2002.  The bill reduces the amount clinical experience hours to qualify for an ECP I from 1,800 to 1,200 hours; creates a method for previously qualified dental hygienists’ to qualify if they have been in a non-clinical or not practicing in the previous five years; modifies the practice settings to better identify underserved populations, and; allows ECP dental hygienists to apply topical anesthetic.  The KDA Board of Delegates reviewed and approved the proposed bill at its November meeting.  The Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare amended the bill at the suggestion of the KDA to allow dental hygienists to apply topical anesthesia under general supervision.  The bill has been passed by the full Senate and is now assigned to the House Committee on Health and Human Services.  A hearing was held this past week. 

HB 2214 would authorize the Kansas Dental Board (KDB) to deny, revoke suspend or limit a dentist’s sedation permit.  This is current practice, however, the KDB’s recent review of the sedation and anesthesia rules and regulations brought into question its authority to do so.  The bill has been passed by the full House and it is now assigned to the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare where a hearing has been held.  The Committee passed this bill favorably with some technical “clean up” amendments.  The provisions of HB 2215 are now in this bill.

HB 2216 is the Dental Board’s bill that will change the biennial licensure schedule of dentists and dental hygienists.  Currently, all dentists renew their license in odd years and dental hygienists renew in even years.  The new method will mix dentist and dental hygienist licensure renewal based on the licensee’s license number.  As a result, about half of the dental hygienists and dentists that renew in 2008 and 2009 respectively will have a one-time one year renewal. The bill has been passed by the full House and it is now assigned to the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare where a hearing has been held.  HB 2216 was passed by the Committee and placed on the Senate’s consent calendar. 

HB 2530 would explicitly exempt healthcare providers from the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) statute.  This corrects the problem recently created by a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that held that healthcare providers are included in the provisions that were meant to cover deceptive practices concerning retail transactions.  A group of healthcare provider organizations (including the KDA), led by the Kansas Medical Society, are teaming up to push for HB 2530.  The House Committee on Judiciary amended HB 2530 recommended the bill favorably for passage after first amending it to clarify that healthcare providers were exempt from the KCPA for matters concerning “professional judgment”, but not front office practices such as billing and advertising.  The KDA provided written testimony in support of the bill. The  

Mercury

SB 1 is similar to bills that the KDA has monitored in past years that would prohibit mercury-based thimerosol in vaccines.  Unlike past bills, SB 1 provides that the Secretary of Health may exempt a vaccine containing thimerosol if there is a vaccine shortage, epidemic, bioterrorist incident, etc.  SB 1 was introduced by Senate minority leader Anthony Hensley and Senator Dennis Wilson.  No hearing is scheduled in the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare.  SB 1 is exempt from the “House of Origin” deadline and, therefore, remains “alive” though no action had been taken.

HB 2526 would create a statewide atmospheric mercury deposition monitoring network to measure the deposition of mercury in Kansas.  The data collected will be made available to Kansas-based research institutes and scientists for exploration of the impact of mercury on Kansas flora, fauna and human population.  HB 2526 has been introduced to monitor atmospheric mercury created by coal-fire electric generating plants, but could impact dentistry.  The House Committee on Utilities has recommended this bill favorably for passage.

Insurance

SB 175 would require all insurance policies to contain a provision to allow for the assignment of benefits directly to a provider of the care. The KDA testified in support of the bill at a hearing in Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance this past week.  SB 175 is exempt from the “House of Origin” deadline and, therefore, remains “alive”.

SB 273 would add dentistry to the “healthcare prompt payment act.”  This would require a dental insurance carrier to pay a clean dental claim within 30 days of receipt.  The KDA testified in support of the bill at a hearing on the bill in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance.  The full Senate passed the bill.  The KDA testified in support of the bill in the House Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions this past week.

Public Health

SB 37 would prohibit tobacco smoking in all indoor public places except a “cigar-tobacco bar.”  The Senate Committee on Judiciary advanced the bill to the full Senate without a recommendation.  SB 37 is exempt from the “House of Origin” deadline and, therefore, remains “alive”, but it no action is expected this year as a summer “Interim Study” is likely on this bill.

SB 302 would create the “controlled substance monitoring task force” that would implement a program to monitor controlled substances.  The task force would be made up of 11 members including a person appointed by the Kansas Dental Association.  SB 302 was passed by the full Senate and is now assigned to the House Committee on Appropriations.   

SB 318 would direct the State of Kansas to use the tobacco settlement money for tobacco cessation and prevention activities.  The bill is exempt and assigned to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.  The KDA has joined on a letter supporting SB 318. 

Charitable Work

HB 2102 would allow healthcare professionals who donate their time to indigent patients at significantly reduced or no cost to apply through a nonprofit community service organization to apply for a tax credit at the rate of $50/hour.  The tax credit would cap at $3,000/year/ taxpayer.  The KDA presented testimony in support of HB 2102 in the House Committee on Taxation No action is expected on HB 2102 as many other professions asked to be added to the bill causing significant confusion and frustration for the Committee.

Government Administrative

SB 16 would authorize the Joint Committee on Children’s Issues to introduce legislation.  This Committee has been in existence since 1999 usually meets during the Legislative Interim.  This bill would provide the Committee with more power to carry outs it legislative charge.  SB 16 is assigned to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means where a hearing has been held.  SB 16 is exempt from the “House of Origin” deadline and, therefore, remains “alive”.

The KDA Enews is a publication of the Kansas Dental Association intended to provide members with important information.  If you have received this email in error, please let us know.  If you have a colleague that wishes to subscribe to the KDA Enews mailing list, please visit the KDA website to learn how.