Attention Medicaid Providers: The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) recently published an update to the Dental-related Services billing guide.

To align with holistic and integrated health, the Health Care Authority (HCA) has added pediatric dental topics to the newly created Pediatric Health listserv. Last month, HCA announced the creation of this new listserv to ensure providers who offer services to children and youth receive updates specific to pediatric policy and program updates.

Orthodontic billing: Periodic orthodontic treatment visits (CDT® D8670) must be billed in three-month intervals. The first three-month interval begins after the initial placement date. The claim must include the appliance placement date and must match the banding claim that the Health Care Authority (HCA) has reimbursed. If that date does not match, the periodic (D8670) orthodontic treatment claim will be denied

Read the latest newsletter from the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC).

Effective Aug. 31, 2022, dentists will need to comply with the new requirement to sterilize low-speed hand piece motors after use.

The Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) will hold its next business meeting on Friday, July 29.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) will conduct a site visit of Seattle Central College’s dental assisting and hygiene programs on November 8-10, 2022, and, following the standard CODA accreditation process, will consider the program for approval at the CODA January-February Winter meeting. Seattle Central College is calling for third party comments from interested parties on their dental assisting and hygiene programs.

As a reminder, beginning with 2022 fourth quarter unemployment insurance tax reports, employers must include Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes and could face a penalty for incorrect or incomplete reporting.

A common question dental practices confront is whether to classify workers as independent contractors or employees. Learn more about several factors for dental practices to consider in determining whether to employ or engage dentists as independent contractors.

As a reminder, in order to remain compliant with RCW 70.352.060, all dental laboratories operating in Washington that provide services for outside dental offices must renew their registration by July 31 of each year.

The Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance (HSQA), is accepting applications through Aug. 5 to fill one public member vacancy on the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC).

Negotiating a new employment contract is inherently stressful, no matter if it’s your first opportunity out of dental school or your fifth as a seasoned professional. Understanding standard contract components can help alleviate some of that uncertainty and better position you to achieve your personal and professional goals.

When dentists are contacted by a Washington Department of Health Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) investigator, the next steps are basic but important.

Are you up to date on current CE requirements for Washington state dentists? Make sure to review WSDA's CE FAQ page for a summary of requirements and a list of frequently asked questions.

Improve patient care and protect your practice as soon as you begin electronically prescribing. Key integrations and automations help to remove human error, verify correct prescriptions and reduce the risk of misuse.

In search of dental facilities that seamlessly combine esthetic appeal, function and design, the ADA Council on Dental Practice, ADA Member Advantage and BMO Harris Bank are seeking entries from June 20 through Aug. 19 for the 2022 Design Innovation Awards.

Washington Dentists’ Insurance Agency (WDIA) takes pride in supporting our medical groups with personalized guidance and customer service. As a licensed broker with Regence, Asuris, Kaiser Permanente, and Premera, WDIA welcomes new groups setting up medical policies for the first time and those who have existing policies with these carriers.

Effective Aug. 31, 2022, dentists will need to comply with the new requirement to sterilize low-speed hand piece motors after use.