In dentistry, the goal when screening patients for COVID-19 is to identify individuals who test negative so that dental treatment can proceed and to alternatively route suspected positive patients into appropriate medical care. Accuracy and sensitivity in testing are essential because every false negative potentially increases the risk of disease transmission to others. This toolkit was created to help dentists determine whether administering rapid COVID-19 tests in their office is appropriate for their practice.
COVID-19 testing is within the scope of practice for California dentists, and on Oct. 8, 2021, new laws from CDA-sponsored legislation now permit dentists to apply for the requisite laboratory licensure to process waived tests in the dental office.
CDA continues to advocate on behalf of its members on the following issues:
- Ensuring that dentists are included as essential health care workers at federal and state levels, and therefore prioritized, if government-distributed rapid tests for asymptomatic individuals become available.
- Advocating for reimbursement for rapid COVID-19 tests by medical and/or dental benefit plans, including Medi-Cal.
This toolkit discusses licensure requirements, billing and reimbursement considerations, and reporting mandates and was created in collaboration with the CDA COVID-19 Clinical Care Workgroup as a complimentary resource to the American Dental Association’s COVID-19 & Lab Testing Requirements Toolkit.