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CDA Practice Support continues to publish frequently asked questions to help dentist-employers understand their obligations and options in the COVID environment. The newest FAQ answers questions about COVID-19 testing, exposure and reporting and employee paid leave. 

Every dental practice, whether it is required to install an amalgam separator to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency rule, must complete and submit a one-time compliance report to the local sanitation agency or the California State Water Resources Control Board. 
 

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s registration fee for prescribers will increase from $731 to $888 for a three-year period, according to the final rule published in the Federal Register last week. 
California dentists are required to have a DEA registration if they prescribe, administer or dispense any controlled substances.

Employers in California are obligated to report to the nearest Cal/OSHA office any serious injury, illness or death of an employee if it occurred at the worksite or in connection with work. The COVID-19 illness may be reportable if it occurred in the workplace and meets the definition of a serious illness under the Cal/OSHA regulation.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and state disability rights laws require dental practices, as places of public accommodations, to make their services and facilities accessible to disabled individuals. This includes making a dental practice website accessible to those who are visually impaired. 

New California regulations, that go into effect July 1, prohibit pre-employment inquiries and job applications that may be used to screen out applicants based on their religious creed, disability, medical condition and age.

Most dental facilities that have not already installed an amalgam separator to comply with an Environmental Protection Agency rule must do so by July 14. The EPA rule, published in June 2017, requires dental facilities to collect all waste amalgam.

Learn if and how your practice can establish a respiratory protection program, a requirement for practices using N95 or equivalent masks.

HIPAA fee limits do not apply to a patient’s request to transmit records to a third party or to a third-party’s request, with patient authorization, to receive patient health information, according to a notice released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.