Dental providers who receive incentive payments through the Medi-Cal Dental Transformation Initiative can continue participation for one more year. The five-year pilot program was set to expire at the end of 2020, but due to the pandemic the DHCS requested the extension from the federal government.

Judee Tippett-Whyte, DDS, has begun her term as CDA’s president for 2021. In a video interview, she joins immediate past President Richard Nagy, DDS, to share her vision, goals and major issues for the year ahead.

The COVID-19 landscape continues to evolve, and nonprofit organizations, especially those that facilitate access to health care, need support more than ever as they explore ways to deliver essential services to individuals safely ― and typically at an increased financial cost.
 

Recently completed audits of selected health care entities for compliance with HIPAA rules found that most of the entities met the timeliness requirements for providing breach notification to individuals but failed to comply with other provisions of the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules. 

The Dental Board of California will stop sending California-licensed dentists and others licensed by the board automated renewal application forms in the mail beginning July 2021. Licensees can expect to receive instead a postcard reminding them to renew online through BreEZe Online Services.

The March issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association features the latest advances in oral and maxillofacial reconstruction. Articles discuss dental implants, modern temporomandibular joint surgery, contemporary sleep surgery and more.

Organized dentistry is making it easier for dentists across California to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Local dental societies have been working with local health departments to get dentists and their staff members vaccinated, and dentists are volunteering their time and skills at vaccination clinics in their communities. 

Health care organizations are receiving postcards disguised as official communications from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, according to an alert the OCR issued yesterday. 

There’s a rising wave of litigation based on violations of the Americans with Disability Act. In addition to “drive by” lawsuits grounded in physical barriers to access, “click by” lawsuits are being filed in increasing numbers.

When a cyberattack hits, your practice comes to a screeching halt. A compromised system can mean no access to schedules, billing or patient records. Learn how to proactively protect your systems, prevent cyber incidents and responsibly respond to a ransomware attack.

An expedited licensure application review process is now available for individuals in specific categories who apply for a professional license through California licensing boards, including dentists, RDAs and RDAEFs who apply for licensure through the Dental Board of California. 

Analysts who answer The Dentists Insurance Company’s Risk Management Advice Line field thousands of calls about practice challenges — many of which are related to navigating paper and digital documents.

Student loan borrowers in California have new protections against lenders’ and servicers’ unfair, deceptive and predatory practices under the state’s new Student Borrower Bill of Rights. 
 

Dental professionals face a number of challenges in securing consent for oral care, but there are specific consent and documentation considerations when caring for older adults.

The increase and severity of  ransomware attacks prompted the Biden administration on June 2 to issue an open letter to business leaders asking them to treat the threat of ransomware attacks with great urgency.

How does your practice navigate unpredictable times? Beyond the challenges of the past year, dentists often face incidents they can’t anticipate or prevent. But they can be prepared and choose how they respond. Reporting every incident, accommodating modified duties and reducing return-to-work risks are important steps.