Staffing shortages have plagued the dental industry, creating an ongoing problem for dental practices and DSOs. The continuing issue of workforce gaps has some in the industry, including Catrise Austin, DDS, owner of a practice in New York City, worried … Read More
Recently, the Census Bureau released data showing that, in 2023, Texas was the state with the highest percentage of uninsured children. Texas left all other states in the dust, with 12% of its children lacking health insurance. In distant second … Read More
About 36% of dentists have dropped one or more networks in the past year, according to a new report from the American Dental Association. The American Dental Association compiled the results from its Dentist Trend Report Survey and Consumer Trend … Read More
The ADA Foundation’s Give Veterans A Smile program will launch nationally at SmileCon, and attendees will have a number of events and continuing education opportunities to learn more about providing services to those who have served. ADA and ADA Foundation … Read More
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell recently introduced a bill designed to expand dental coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and the VA. The Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024 aims to improve access to dental care in underserved … Read More
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies and are a popular form of health insurance coverage for U.S. adults age 65 and older who choose to forgo Original Medicare. However, finding the best Medicare Advantage plan can be … Read More
In a significant victory for Driscoll Health Plan and its members, a Travis County Court issued a temporary injunction on October 4, 2024, blocking the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) from signing a managed care contract that would … Read More
More than 26% of dentists have dropped out of some insurance networks since the start of 2024, according to a survey conducted by the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute. According to the ADA’s “Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in … Read More
No business is immune to cybercrime, and dental practices are prime targets for ransomware, hacking, and data theft. The sensitivity of patient data, combined with often inadequate cybersecurity measures and untrained staff, makes dentistry an attractive target for cybercriminals. For … Read More
On June 6, Lt. Mike Ramirez, an investigator with Medicaid Provider Integrity, received the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Award for Excellence in Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse. The award was presented during a ceremony in … Read More
There’s a little-known federal law that, if properly enforced, could revolutionize dental care. This law is important to every dentist and dental patient – whether you work with Medicaid or not. This article is meant to empower states across the … Read More
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Tuesday that the Legislature will review all of the state’s existing contracts with the firm Deloitte after it selected a company whose CEO was previously convicted of an “embezzlement scheme” as a project finalist for … Read More
The fight over whether Cook Children’s can continue offering its health care plan to more than 125,000 families in the Tarrant County area has come to a halt. District Judge Laurie Eiserloh of Travis County blocked Texas Health and Human … Read More
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is set to hold a workshop Nov. 18-19 to explore practices for advancing oral health in the U.S. across the lifespan. The event, called Advancing Oral Health Across the Lifespan: A Workshop, … Read More
Several state dental groups have created relief funds to help residents and dental practices in need of assistance after Hurricane Helene. Five notes: 1. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane the night of Sept. 26, causing widespread … Read More
While the implications of the election on the future of abortion access have received extensive attention, the stakes are also high for the future directions of Medicaid, a program that seven in ten women have a connection to. Vice President … Read More
The 2025 Give Kids A Smile kickoff is fast approaching, and the ADA Foundation is reminding program coordinators of some important dates. Free product kits for 2025 can be requested via the GKAS website beginning Oct. 1 through Nov. 15. … Read More
The best dental insurance companies are Anthem and Guardian, according to our analysis of large dental insurers. Anthem’s Essential Choice PPO Platinum plan received five out of five stars in our evaluation. We analyzed costs, deductibles, provider networks, waiting periods, … Read More
WELLESLEY, Mass., Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Florida lawmakers approved more than $700 million to support health care workforce growth and innovation statewide with provisions specific to dental care. This includes a rate increase for dentists treating Medicaid patients that … Read More
In a substantial reduction of Medicaid coverage affecting more than two million individuals, primarily children, the State of Texas has drawn considerable scrutiny regarding its management of the “Medicaid unwinding” process following the cessation of pandemic-era federal support. The Texas … Read More
A bill to expand dental coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Sept. 17. The companion bill was introduced by Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., … Read More
Nearly every state in the U.S. has seen a decrease in the number of dental professional shortage areas since October 2023, according to data from the Health Resources & Services Administration. The HRSA updated its dashboard with new data on … Read More
The Biden-Harris administration has released guidance for coverage requirements in place for children and youth under Medicaid and CHIP. Five things dental leaders should know: 1. The guidance reinforces the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment requirements set in … Read More
October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and I am excited to take the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our nearly 6,000 supported dental hygienists at Heartland Dental. At Heartland Dental, we recognize the invaluable contributions of hygiene providers and are … Read More
Two pieces of legislation introduced to Congress earlier this year could potentially improve dental care access for thousands of people if passed. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell introduced the Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024 Sept. 17 as a companion … Read More
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners is the first dental board in the U.S. to remove mental health questions from its credentialing applications. The move is part of the Wellbeing First Champion Challenge program, which was launched by the … Read More
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives, announced today that the California Department of Health Care Services has selected its subsidiary, Health Net Community Solutions … Read More
Open wide, Vermont: A wave of new dentists-in-training is headed your way. On Friday, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry announced plans to open a new dental school in Vermont. The move will allow the Michigan college to … Read More
The ADA is advocating against pharmacy benefit managers’ wish for the government to broadly interpret a law that would stop states from regulating health care benefits, including dental. The ADA commented on the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing, the Role of … Read More
How Do Recent CMS Regulations Apply to Dentistry? ADA Director of Medicaid and Medicare Programs Ian Hedges and CMS Chief Dental Officer Dr. Natalia Chalmers answer many questions and explain the minutiae of the CMS regulations for dentists who accept … Read More
The Health and Human Services Commission is asking for 44 exceptional items in its legislative appropriations request; about two dozen are straightforward IT projects or have IT components. Modernizing the Medicaid Enterprise System is the top IT project. As a … Read More
The widening gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the real cost of providing dental care in North Carolina has reached its boiling point, according to a Sept. 19 report by Public News Service. Medicaid reimbursement rates in the state have … Read More
In April 2023, states began the process of unwinding the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision, a pandemic-era policy that protected Medicaid coverage for millions of enrollees. During the unwinding, states redetermined eligibility for everyone on the program and disenrolled those who … Read More
The Everest Ransomware Team has a new post on their leak site: Company has the last 24 hours to contact us using the instructions left.In case of silence, all data will be published More than 1 million personal EMR’s + … Read More
Football is back in Texas. And so is the legislature – even though their session has ended. The Longhorns and Texans are off to hot starts, and the legislature is putting in the early work to deliver a win for … Read More
Children in Texas are more likely to be uninsured than children in the rest of the United States. A report by the American Community Survey, most commonly known for conducting the U.S. Census, examined the number of Americans insured versus … Read More
CMS is suspending new enrollment for a Centene Medicare Advantage subsidiary in Missouri after the company failed to meet the required medical loss ratio for three years in a row. MA plans are required to spend at least 85% of … Read More
A House of Representatives subcommittee held a hearing Sept. 10 to discuss ways to protect and improve a law that regulates self-funded benefit plans, including dental. The Committee on Education & the Workforce, a subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and … Read More
Two states have enacted new dental benefit laws, both of which have been supported by the ADA’s State Public Affairs program. Pennsylvania passed legislation that prohibits dental insurers from adopting a policy of paying participating dentists using only virtual credit … Read More
About 25.1 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid as of Aug. 23, according to new data from KFF. KFF has been tracking Medicaid enrollment since May 3, 2023, after the continuous enrollment requirement enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic ended … Read More
