Blog

Mar 31, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 12 (March 27-April 2)

By March 29, bills must have been voted out of their opposite house policy committee to stay “alive” and continue along in the legislative process. Bills that have been sent to a fiscal committee in the opposite house have until April 4 to pass out of committee. Read for an update of WSDA’s week 12 activities in Olympia.

Mar 27, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 11 (March 20-26)

On March 21, several dental workforce bills had a public hearing in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee and subsequently passed out of the Committee on March 23. The Legislature will continue to devote most of its time to Committee work until opposite house policy cutoff on March 29. Read for an update on WSDA’s week 11 activities in Olympia.

Mar 21, 2023

ADA Receives Clarification On No Surprises Act

Dental providers and facilities are “generally required to provide uninsured patients with a good faith estimate of expected charges” unless the patient is enrolled in an excepted benefit plan or coverage such as a stand-alone dental plan, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.

Mar 17, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 10 (March 13-19)

During week ten, the Legislature returned to Committee to hear and amend bills from the opposite chamber. The Legislature will devote most of their time to Committee work until opposite house policy cutoff on March 29. Read for an update on WSDA’s week ten activities in Olympia.

Mar 10, 2023

Court Extends Discovery Period in ADA Lawsuit Against Delta Dental

In 2019, the ADA filed a class action lawsuit against the Delta Dental Plans and the Delta Dental Plans Association, and in January, the federal district court for the Northern District of Illinois amended its scheduling order to allow the parties additional time to conduct discovery.

Mar 10, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 9 (March 6-12)

March 8 was house of origin cutoff, the third major milestone of the 2023 legislative session. This means that bills, with the exception of those necessary to implement the budget, must have been voted out of their respective chamber by March 8 in order to stay “alive” and move forward in the legislative process. Read for an update on WSDA’s week nine activities in Olympia.

Mar 7, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 8 (Feb. 27-March 5)

On March 5, the Legislature passed several dental-specific and workforce bills out of the House of Representatives. During week eight, the Legislature devoted their time to debating and voting bills out of their respective chamber of origin. Read for an update on WSDA’s week eight activities in Olympia.

Mar 3, 2023

Review DQAC's Proposed Anesthesia Rules

For more than three years, the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) has been working to update Washington state’s dental anesthesia rules. WSDA encourages members to review the proposed rules and submit questions or concerns via email or virtually at DQAC's March 10 business meeting.

Mar 3, 2023

Secretary of Health Mask Order to End April 3

Effective April 3, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will end the Secretary of Health Statewide Face Covering Order currently in effect for health care (including dental).

Mar 2, 2023

Reminder: ASL Interpreter Provider Obligations

A dental office is considered to be a place of public accommodation and thus is prohibited from discriminating for any reason due to a disability. Accordingly, dental offices are required to provide an interpreter if one is needed to effectively communicate with a hearing-impaired patient.

Mar 2, 2023

Reminder: Dental Infection Control Requirements

The Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) previously finalized dental infection control rules in December 2020, and the majority of these rules became effective January 2021. The rules apply to settings wherever dentistry is provided in Washington and include several requirements that dentists must comply with.

Mar 2, 2023

Registration is Open for PNDC 2023!

Registration is open now for the 2023 Pacific Northwest Dental Conference, June 15-17 in Seattle! Earn 20+ CE credits, shop the Exhibit Hall (now open on Saturday), enjoy special events and more all for one low price.

Mar 1, 2023

Free Virtual CE from WSDA – March 16 & April 26

Members can register now for two upcoming free virtual CE courses from WSDA and Columbia Bank: "Essential Steps When Selling or Buying a Dental Practice" on March 16 and "Protecting Your Practice Through Adversity" on April 26.

Mar 1, 2023

Volunteer at the Seattle/King County Clinic

Dental professionals looking for a volunteer opportunity can sign up to volunteer for the 2023 Seattle/King County Clinic, held April 27-30 at Seattle Center.

Mar 1, 2023

Bracken Killpack: Building a Stronger WSDA

"We must provide specific, differentiated value for all dentists regardless of how they practice – with benefits aligned to the north star of our mission."

Feb 28, 2023

Are Credit Card Fees Affecting Your Bottom Line?

Without a vigilant management strategy, credit card processing fees can add up and affect your bottom line. Review tips for minimizing fees from WSDA and ADA endorsed company Best Card.

Feb 28, 2023

DQAC Dental Inclusion Committee Meeting – March 29

The Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) has formed a Dental Inclusion Committee to begin rulemaking to comply with health equity education requirements. The Committee will meet on March 29.

Feb 27, 2023

Apply for the WSDA Leadership Institute by March 31

The WSDA Leadership Institute is a program designed to foster new leadership in organized dentistry by getting participants involved in a variety of WSDA activities and meetings. Apply by March 31.

Feb 24, 2023

Comment on Project to Enhance CDT Codes

The ADA’S Enhanced CDT Task Force is seeking comment from the entire dental community on the proposed framework of dental procedure code modifiers, which would complement — not replace — the CDT Code’s current “Dxxxx” format. The next Enhanced CDT public comment session will be on Feb. 28 from 5:00-5:30 PM Pacific Time.

Feb 24, 2023

DQAC Business Meeting – March 10

The Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) will hold its next business meeting in a hybrid format on Friday, March 10 at 10:00 AM.

Feb 24, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 7 (Feb. 20-26)

Friday, Feb. 24 is fiscal committee cutoff, the second major milestone of the 2023 legislative session. This means that bills that have been sent to a fiscal committee must be voted out in order to stay “alive” and continue along in the legislative process. Read for an update on WSDA’s week seven activities in Olympia.

Feb 21, 2023

Employment Law Webinars from L&I

The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has created a series of free webinars for both employers and employees, covering employment law topics including workers’ rights, job posting requirements, overtime rules, and the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act.

Feb 17, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 6 (Feb. 13-19)

Today is policy committee cutoff, marking the first major milestone of the 2023 legislative session. By 5:00 PM today, bills must be voted out of their policy committee in order to stay “alive” and continue along in the legislative process. Accordingly, this week, the Legislature devoted most of its committee time to executive session work as well as floor action. Read for an update on WSDA’s week six activities in Olympia.

Feb 16, 2023

Proposed Dental Licensure Fee Increase – June 1

In order to address the annual operating shortfall of the Dental Quality Assurance Commission, the Department of Health is proposing to increase dental licensure fees, effective June 1, 2023.

Feb 14, 2023

Practice Owners: Get Refunds on Premiums You Already Pay to L&I

Sign up for WSDA Retro by March 1 to qualify to receive refunds on the workers' compensation premiums you already pay to the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) and get up to 100% of wages reimbursed when bringing injured employees back to modified duty.

Feb 6, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 4 (Jan. 30-Feb. 5)

Floor action began this week at the Washington State Legislature. Simultaneously, bills continue to be introduced, heard in committees, and amended. Read for an update of WSDA’s week four activities in Olympia.

Feb 2, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 3 (Jan. 23-29)

Week three of the 2023 Washington state legislative session saw many more bills introduced and heard in committees. WSDA continues to track bills concerning a variety of issues, read more for an update on week three activities.

Feb 1, 2023

WSDA Advocates for Reducing Barriers to Hygiene Licensure

This legislative session, WSDA is focusing on several efforts to help address the severe workforce shortages faced by the dental industry. One of those important efforts is advocating for the passage of House Bill 1466, which seeks to reduce barriers to hygiene licensure in our state.

Jan 31, 2023

Become a Washington State Smile Survey Screener

Arcora Foundation is hiring dental professionals (dentist or licensed hygienist) to perform Smile Survey oral health screenings on children in elementary schools in Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Island, Kitsap, Pierce, San Juan, Snohomish, and Spokane counties.