Is an In-Office Dental Plan Right for your Practice?

Studies have shown that patients with a dental plan are much more likely to seek dental care and accept treatment plans.

Under such a plan, the patient pays the doctor or dental office a fixed amount of money on a monthly or annual basis. In return, the patient generally receives preventive services at no charge, with other procedures offered at a discounted fee.

The ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs has developed a toolkit to help dental practices evaluate whether an in-office dental plan option is right for them.

An on-demand webinar, "Increase Value in your Practice! How? Start your own Dental Plan," is also available to help dentists gain a basic understanding of how in-office dental plans work, how to create a plan for your office, and the advantages/risks of implementing a plan.

Discussion Abounds on Adding Dental Benefit in Medicare

Adding a dental benefit within Medicare is a topic of conversation among agencies that advocate for seniors but also within the ADA.

The Council on Dental Benefit Programs, with support from the Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention, is submitting Resolution 33 to the House of Delegates, which meets in October in Honolulu, which outlines what the council would want as an advocacy position if legislation to add a dental benefit to Medicare is introduced in Congress.

This comes on the heels of the ADA’s increasing awareness of Oral Health America’s coalition of consumer advocacy groups that is beginning conversations with legislators and regulators on adding a dental benefit to Medicare.

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Best Practices for Amalgam Separators and Waste Management

We've had some questions from members recently regarding amalgam separators. Dentists are encouraged to follow dental best management practices, set forth by the ADA, for amalgam waste handling and disposal.

The EPA requires amalgam separators to achieve at least a 95% removal efficiency. The EPA final rule on amalgam separators went into effect on July 14, 2017, and the date for compliance is July 14, 2020. Most practicing dentists who discharge wastewater into a publicly owned treatment work (POTW), such as a municipal sewer system, must comply.

Additional highlights and exemptions to the rule can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page at ada.org/recycleamalgam.

CMS Rule Rescinds Medicare Parts C, D Enrollment Requirements

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have published a final rule, effective as of June 15, 2018, revising the Medicare Advantage program (Part C) regulations and Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D) regulations and to implement certain provisions of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.

The final rule rescinds a previously announced rule that would have required dentists who provide dental care and prescriptions for Medicare Advantage patients and Part D beneficiaries to be enrolled in Medicare or to have opted out in order for their services to be covered.

As a substitute for the enrollment/opt-out requirement, CMS will utilize a preclusion list, which will go into effect on January 1, 2019. 

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