After significant advocacy efforts from the American Dental Association (ADA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a proposed rule to rescind certain Medicare Part D and C requirements for providers.
Advocates proposing dental therapist legislation in Florida have compared dental therapists to nurse practitioners and physician assistants. This is a false comparison.
On Monday, Jan. 29, the House Health Quality Subcommittee approved an amendment to HB 683 that removed the original language of the bill and replaced it with language to study the “affordability, access and delivery of dental care.” (VIDEO)
The House Health & Human Services Committee passed CS/HB 21 by Rep. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) with a strikeall amendment on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The underlying premise of the bill remains the same, which is to limit the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances.
This session proved to be a year where false comparisons and distortion of information took center stage as individuals and national organizations lobbied the Legislature to change Florida’s dental workforce.
CS/CS/HB 21 was signed into law by the governor on March 19 and becomes effective on July 1, 2018. This law adds a new continuing education requirement along with limits on prescribing opioids.
This past legislative session, the Florida Dental Association
(FDA) was successful in defeating legislation
that would have allowed a high school graduate with
three years of dental therapy training extract permanent
teeth, perform partial root canals and administer local
anesthesia under the general supervision of a dentist.
As of July 1, Florida’s new law (HB 21) on the prescribing of controlled substances took effect. To make sure you are up to date on what you need to know, here’s a brief summary.
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) announced its intent to award contracts to MCNA Dental, DentaQuest of Florida and Liberty Dental Plan of Florida to provide dental services under the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) program. The dental plans will each provide services statewide.
Read the basics required by the opioid legislation passed during the 2018 Legislative Session, frequently asked questions to assist in clarifying issues that surface when implementing new legislation, and the recently finalized and approved Rule 64B5-17.0045, Standards for the Prescribing of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Acute Pain.
On Aug. 25, 2018, the Board of Dentistry covered topics such as the radiography program and restorative function dental auxiliary proposals, anesthesia, hygienist supervision levels and the recent opioid legislation.
Legislation has been filed to license dental therapists in Florida. The Florida Dental Association (FDA) is opposed to dental therapy legislation. Florida does not need another licensed dental professional.
This week you may have received an email from The Pew Charitable Trusts regarding a proposal to introduce a new licensed provider to Florida, called a dental therapist. This communication did not come through the Florida Dental Association (FDA), nor did the FDA provide member emails to this entity.
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) contracts with Medicaid health and dental plans to provide services to health plan enrollees in the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) program. AHCA recently entered into new contracts with health and dental plans. As part of those contracts, the ACHA achieved program changes that greatly benefit enrollees and providers.
The Agency for Health Care Administration (ACHA) contracts with Medicaid health and dental plans to provide services to health plan enrollees in the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) program.
The Florida Dental Association (FDA) would like to thank everyone who contacted members on the Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee and asked them to VOTE NO on SB 684 and SB 686 by Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg), which would have authorized licensure for dental therapists.
The 2019 Legislative Session started on Tuesday, March 5 and FDA-supported bills are moving through the committee hearing process. On Monday, March 4, three FDA-supported bills unanimously passed out of the Senate Health Policy Committee.
The FDA opposes legislation filed to create dental therapists in Florida, which includes SB 684 and SB 686 by Sen. Brandes, HB 649 by Rep. Plasencia and HB 471 by Rep. Fernandez-Barquin.
On Monday, April 1, the governor announced the creation of a Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse
and the re-establishment of the Office of Drug Control within the Executive Office of the Governor to address Florida’s substance abuse crisis.
On Tuesday, April 9, SB 716 by Sen. Ed Hooper (R-Palm Harbor) passed unanimously out of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
FDA-supported legislation passed in HB 549 by Rep. Tyler Sirois (R-Merritt Island) that will require dentists to take a two-hour continuing education (CE) course on the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances during licensure renewal.
The Florida Legislature approved the FDA’s priority legislation that reinstates the dental student loan repayment program and expands the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program in CS/HB 843 by Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Doral).
Did you know there currently are two open positions on the Florida Board of Dentistry (BOD)? A dentist position and a consumer position are both vacant.
This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law HB 843, which will reestablish a dental
student loan repayment program for dentists who practice as Medicaid providers serving low income patients in designated rural and underserved areas.
New legislation requires all dentists, regardless of DEA licensing, to take a two-hour continuing education (CE) course on the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances during licensure renewal. The license renewal deadline is Feb. 29, 2020.
On Friday, May 17, the Florida Board of Dentistry (BOD) covered topics such as an interstate licensure compact, an anesthesia inspection program, sterilization rules and a proposal for RFDA for dental assistants.
Legislation has been filed again to create a new dental licensed provider called a dental therapist. Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) has filed SB 152.
On Friday, Aug. 23, the Florida Board of Dentistry (BOD) covered topics such as a petition for variance of waiver of rule that requires only a dentist employ another dentist, as well as updates to the sterilization and anesthesia rules.
Dental School Snapshots: June
Jun 10, 2024
ADA News highlights facts about more than 70 accredited dental schools in the US
The U.S. boasts more than 70 accredited dental schools, all charged with educating the next generation of dentists. Read the full article.