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In early February the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published its final rule addressing the reporting and returning of overpayments by Medicare providers and suppliers. The rule will likely have a somewhat limited impact on most Ohio dentists, but its existence may inadvertently cause some confusion relative to it and other laws ... [continue reading]

I was struck by a Bankrate.com poll that was released this January. Their “Money Pulse Survey” was conducted in December 2015 and reported that 63 percent of Americans cannot afford a $500 unexpected expense. Think about that for a moment. Nearly two-thirds of Americans don’t have $500 in savings. For years, we have been told by ... [continue reading]

“For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple … and wrong” - H.L. Mencken This assessment of today’s complex social and scientific problems still rings true, and access to dental care falls into this category. Only the naïve would believe that more money and more providers will bring access to ... [continue reading]

In the Shakespeare play, Prince Hamlet in his famous speech contemplates death by suicide versus the troubles of life, and weighing the alternatives and consequences of both decisions. Many dentists look at becoming a Medicaid provider in the same light. Not to cheapen one of our great literary works of art, but this is a question we all at some ... [continue reading]

For Immediate ReleaseMarch 1, 2016 Ohio Dental Association President Dr. Chris Connell, a general dentist from Lyndhurst, issued the following statement regarding the proposal to legalize dental therapists in Ohio: “Legalizing dental therapists would be detrimental to the oral health of Ohioans and would be an unnecessary distraction from ... [continue reading]

Dr. Manny Chopra, chair of the ODA Council on Dental Care Programs and Dental Practice, and Dr. Steve Moore, ODA vice president, meet with Sen. Bill Coley at the 2015 ODA Day at the Statehouse. The 2016 ODA Day at the Statehouse will be April 13. Day at the Statehouse, the Ohio Dental Association’s most important grassroots advocacy event, ... [continue reading]

The IRS has extended the deadline for employers and insurers to complete reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act. The deadline for employers to provide the 2015 Form 1095 to employees has been extended to March 31, 2016. The deadline for health coverage providers and employers to submit the 2015 Form 1094 (which is a summary report) ... [continue reading]

Volunteer dentists have treated more than 12,000 Ohioans and provided more than $22 million in donated care since Dental OPTIONS (Ohio Partnership To Improve Oral health through access to Needed Services) began in 1997. A private/public partnership between the Ohio Dental Association and the Ohio Department of Health, Dental OPTIONS is a program ... [continue reading]

All states including Ohio have some type of unclaimed property law that declares money, property or other assets to be abandoned after a period of inactivity. Abandoned or unclaimed property, although not considered a tax, has become a significant source of revenue for many states. Additionally in this information age, states have become much more ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Dental Association has recently received a number of calls from ODA member dentists who received a fax from a nationwide information management company requesting information specific to their practice (e.g., provider name, appointment phone number, practice address, practice fax, NPI, TIN, email and business/practice name). The form also ... [continue reading]