Category: Legal Issues

Embezzlement is a crime of opportunity, and it happens because it can. It is impossible to know the exact prevalence of embezzlement in dental offices as much goes undetected and unreported, but studies indicate that at least one in three dentists will be embezzled throughout the life of the practice. Dentists are particularly susceptible to fraud ... [continue reading]

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of National Coordinator (ONC) recently released new guidance regarding patient access to medical information. The regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) protect the privacy and security of individuals’ identifiable health information and ... [continue reading]

Dentists often volunteer their time delivering free or significantly discounted dental treatment to patients who might otherwise not receive care. While the vast majority of such patients are grateful for the services they receive, charitable intentions do not negate potential liability. Fortunately, the Ohio General Assembly has taken steps to ... [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]

An article recently published by "The Associated Press" reports that more dentists are marketing in-office dental plans (commonly referred to as "membership plans" or "discount clubs") as a way of making care more affordable and encouraging people to get routine cleanings and check-ups. Under such plans, patients pay a set annual or monthly ... [continue reading]

Since the advent of federal privacy regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), dental offices have focused their attention on the security and safeguarding of the health information they gather on patients in the course of treatment. Concerns about patient privacy have forced offices to exercise caution on ... [continue reading]

Today, many patients investigate your office prior to an initial appointment using Internet ratings sites such as Yelp, Healthgrades, Bestdentists, Angie’s List, and RateaDentist. A majority of consumers report to trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, meaning a single negative review can harm your practice by turning away ... [continue reading]

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a federal law that was adopted to address the growing problem of unwanted telemarketing communications by regulating how businesses communicate with consumers through residential telephones, cell phones, text messages and faxes. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently issued a ... [continue reading]

Due to the growing volume of information that is being transferred and stored away each day, businesses are beginning to realize the importance of adopting a records retention policy. The purpose of adopting such a policy is to establish an official procedure for managing records. A well-crafted records retention policy specifies a detailed method ... [continue reading]

Dental radiographs provide information critical to the identification and treatment of oral health problems. For example, radiographs are the only reliable way to view the bone, roots, attachments, interproximal areas, and under and around restorations. Despite the significant benefit of such images, some patients refuse to have radiographs taken ... [continue reading]