CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, is charting an ambitious course for the agency, pledging to align federal healthcare policy with President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda while pushing for sweeping reforms across Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA marketplace. … Read More
Sacramento, Calif. — The California Dental Association issued the following statement today on the state legislature’s budget agreement. The proposed legislative agreement delays Governor Newsom’s proposal to eliminate Proposition 56 funding for Medi-Cal Dental services and dental coverage for undocumented … Read More
Hospitals across the U.S. are continuing their long recovery from the financial turbulence of the early 2020s, with April’s data from Kaufman Hall’s “National Hospital Flash Report” offering a mixed but cautiously optimistic outlook. Based on data from more than … Read More
The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville and Titusville (Pa.) Area Hospital to launch the state’s first regional training center. The center will train general practice dental residents, hygienists and … Read More
New laws are being introduced and passed this year to increase coverage and accountability from dental insurers, with the backing of state and federal dental organizations. In addition to holding insurers accountable, the bills aim to enhance access to care … Read More
Jeffrey Ottley, DMD, president of the Florida Dental Association is warning of the potential impact of the state ending community water fluoridation, WCTV reported June 4. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis authorized a bill May 15 making Florida the second state … Read More
Not long ago, Dr. Suzanne Fournier saw a 16-year-old patient with a swollen face and difficulty breathing. Fournier, a dentist who practices at an urban hospital in Louisiana, had to extract six of the teen’s teeth; he was eventually intubated … Read More
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be integrated into health care, a new study from Denmark sheds light on how dental patients really feel about its growing role in diagnostics. The verdict? Patients are cautiously optimistic, welcoming the potential benefits … Read More
Align Technology recently awarded $300,000 in grants to 12 universities around the world to support orthodontic and dental research. The awards were given as part of the company’s Annual Research Award Program, according to a June 2 news release. The … Read More
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, is charting an ambitious course for the agency, pledging to align federal healthcare policy with President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda while pushing for sweeping reforms across Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA marketplace. … Read More
Following a tumultuous period for UnitedHealth Group, new CEO and board chair Stephen Hemsley addressed investors on June 2, acknowledging the company’s recent shortcomings and detailing his plan to restore the high performance that investors and customers expect moving forward. … Read More
The annual Give Kids A Smile event, hosted earlier this month by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry, delivered more than $19,000 worth of free dental care to almost 90 middle- and high-school students from across … Read More
As a board-certified pediatric dentist, I regularly see the impact that dental workforce shortages have on Medicaid patients across Texas. Every day, systemic barriers prevent timely access to essential dental care, especially for children in our most vulnerable communities. This … Read More
Florida would see the largest increase in its uninsured population if ACA premium tax credits are not extended, and Medicaid work requirements and other changes are implemented, according to KFF. Lawmakers are considering a reconciliation package that would implement Medicaid … Read More
A U.S.-based dental technology company has made history by becoming the first to receive FDA clearance for artificial intelligence (AI) software capable of analyzing both 2D and 3D dental images. Pearl, headquartered in California, announced Tuesday that its Second Opinion® … Read More
The explosion of technology, including artificial intelligence, is the biggest potential change in the dental industry 10 years from now. Aside from AI, the continuation of DSO consolidation and private equity influence, moving more toward interconnected healthcare and more personalized … Read More
The American Dental Association’s annual SmileCon will hold its final event in October. After careful consideration, the ADA has decided to sunset the conference in 2026, according to a statement. While SmileCon received positive feedback from attendees and saw a … Read More
The ADA is commenting on competition in the dental insurance market, applauding the Department of Justice’s renewed focus on competition in health care and offering its perspective on how historically limited competition in dental insurance harms patients and dental professionals. … Read More
The White House’s Make America Healthy Again Commission published its anticipated report on childhood chronic disease May 22. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Feb. 13 to develop the commission, which is tasked with investigating “the root causes of … Read More
Dental leaders across the U.S. are growing more concerned with the accessibility of oral healthcare as federal threats loom. The dental industry has been dealt several blows over the last few weeks regarding funding, research, workforce development and policy. Many … Read More
UnitedHealth Group is asking shareholders to support a $60 million stock option award for its new CEO. In a May 20 letter to shareholders, Christopher Zaetta, UnitedHealth’s chief legal officer, urged shareholders to approve the company’s executive compensation. Institutional Shareholder … Read More
Four years after Governor Greg Abbott and Texas legislators enacted a bill to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMCL), there is plenty of evidence that it has made Texas a less costly place for physicians to operate, translating into … Read More
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey held a roundtable with various representatives in the healthcare industry last week to discuss the impact of possible cuts to Medicaid health insurance by Congress. The roundtable, Moms & Medicaid: How Medicaid Impacts Maternal Care and … Read More
State lawmakers are addressing a number of challenges facing Texans and the state economy, including many that don’t get the media coverage they deserve, such as the worsening dental care crisis. Simply put, Texas does not have enough dentists and … Read More
(Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating UnitedHealth Group for possible Medicare fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. While the exact nature of the criminal allegations are unclear, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the … Read More
exas Senator Ted Cruz has said Republicans will crackdown on “massive fraud” in the Medicaid program. “I think we are going to see significant Medicaid reforms as Congress takes on budget reconciliation and extends the tax cuts,” he told CNBC, … Read More
CMS has issued a proposed rule to close what it describes as a Medicaid tax “loophole” that some states have exploited to increase federal payments while minimizing their state financial contributions. The proposed rule aims to ensure that federal Medicaid … Read More
Washington, D.C. — Lori Paulson came to the Dental Trade Alliance’s Washington Policy Summit for some guidance on how tariffs impact her current business model and how long she may be dealing with the uncertainty of what comes next for … Read More
A new OIG report found that the Center for Medicare &Medicaid Services (CMS) does not have a systematic process to track whether States return certain Medicaid managed care dollars to the Federal Government, when required. This money is owed by … Read More
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voiced his commitment to dental health and discussed his agency’s oral health priorities during a budget hearing with the House Appropriations Committee May 14. RFK Jr. met with committee members to discuss Fiscal Year … Read More
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it is initiating action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market. Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested … Read More
House Republicans unveiled legislation May 11 that would introduce Medicaid work requirements nationwide and stricter eligibility requirements. The 160-page bill, introduced by the House Energy and Commerce Committee as part of a broader budget reconciliation package, aims to reduce federal … Read More
The ADA and nine other dental organizations are urging Congress to reject the administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, the coalition said the budget proposal would cut critical investments in oral … Read More
The ADA is reaffirming its support of community water fluoridation amid reports that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending the practice. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Kennedy, the … Read More
The ADA and nine other dental organizations are urging Congress to reject the administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, the coalition said the budget proposal would cut critical investments in oral … Read More
Dive Brief: Millions of people could lose coverage under potential policy changes to Medicaid under consideration by Republicans in Congress, according to a letter sent to lawmakers this week from the Congressional Budget Office. One option, reducing the federal government’s … Read More
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — With Utah’s first-in-the-nation ban on fluoride in public drinking water set to take effect Wednesday, dentists who treat children and low-income patients say they’re bracing for an increase in tooth decay among the state’s most … Read More
The ADA signed on to a coalition letter expressing concern for the Trump administration’s draft fiscal year 2026 budget for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The letter follows a draft budget proposal outlined by the Office of … Read More
Smiles for Freedom will hold its 10th Anniversary Event on Friday, May 16, at Sala Family Dentistry, providing free dental services to local veterans. The event continues the organization’s mission to honor those who have served by offering essential dental … Read More
Although dentists have grown familiar with the stress of workforce shortages and rising costs, new challenges have emerged this year that have the potential to threaten dentistry and healthcare as a whole. Here are two new issues worrying dentists in … Read More
