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Dental Newsbriefs
Following are abstracts of articles from LDA publications
and/or various other dental publications. All information reprinted with
permission.
ADA Foundation Disaster Assistance ATTENTION LDA MEMBERS! (Even if you have not been a victim of Hurricane Katrina, please read the following information and pass it on to any LDA/ADA members that you may see in the coming months that could benefit from this assistance.) The ADA Foundation (www.adafoundation.org) would like to extend assistance to those members who may be in need. As part of the ADA’s Charitable Assistance Programs, the Foundation provides the following: * grants (no specified amount) to organizations which can provide dental services to affected areas; * loans up to $25,000 to victims of a disaster for office repair. For your convenience, those applications are attached above. Additional information including the Rules for each program can be found at http://adafoundation.org/ada/prod/adaf/prog_charitable_disaster.asp. A Disaster Preparedness Manual has been developed by the Florida Dental Association, with the Florida Dental Health Foundation, under a grant of the ADAF (http://www.adafoundation.org/ada/prod/adaf/prog_disaster_handbook.asp. The manual is based on the experiences of dentists who lost or suffered damage to their offices and homes during a disaster. It covers how to prepare the office; what to do if a storm strikes; and describes local, state and national resources that are available. If you wish to download the manual, or find out more information, please visit the website: http://www.floridadental.org/foundation/disaster.html. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the LDA at (800) 388-6642 or contact Lisa Barron or Rose Famularo at the ADA at (312) 440-4639. MEDCOM's "Radiographic Techniques and Safety: Introduction to the X-ray and Safety Precautions" is available through the LDA and approved by the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry. It can be used for in-office education of dental assistants, counts for C.E. credit and saves you time and money compared to classroom instruction. Course length is approximately three hours and a 15-day rental includes workbook, grading and certificate. Fees are $40 for LDA members, $75 for non-LDA members, and $15 for LDA members and $25 for non-members for each additional packet. To order, call the LDA at 800-388-6642, (225) 926-1986, e-mail info@ladental.org or download an order form and mail or fax it to the information listed on the form.
Currently, Medicaid accepts the 1990, 1994 and 2002 American Dental Association (ADA) Claim Forms for prior authorization and reimbursement of dental hardcopy claims. Effective January 1, 2005, the 2002 ADA Claim Form and the 2002, 2004 ADA Claim Form will become the only hardcopy dental claim forms accepted for Medicaid prior authorization and reimbursement of services provided under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Dental, Expanded Dental Services for Pregnant Women (EDSPW) and Adult Denture Programs regardless of the date of service. All dental claims received by Unisys or the LSU Dental School, Medicaid Dental Prior Authorization Unit prior to January 1, 2005, on the older versions of the ADA Claim Form will be processed. In-house and pending claims received on the older versions of the ADA claim form will be processed. However, on or after January 1, 2005, any dental claims received by Unisys or the LSU Dental School, Medicaid Dental Prior Authorization Unit on the older versions of the ADA Claim Form will be returned to the provider. Hardcopy billing providers who are currently using older versions of the ADA Claim Form should request the 2002 ADA Claim Form or the 2002, 2004 ADA Claim Form from the ADA as soon as possible in order to be compliant with this requirement by January 1, 2005. Providers who are currently using older versions of dental software to print hardcopy dental claims should contact their software vendor as soon as possible for updated (2002 or 2002, 2004) dental software in order to be compliant with this requirement by January 1, 2005. Should you have any questions regarding this information, you may contact Unisys Provider Relations by calling (800) 473-2783 or (225) 924-5040 or the Medicaid Dental Prior Authorization Unit by calling 504-619-8589. Effective immediately, the following policy revisions and/or clarifications will apply. Dental Services Manual revision pages will be prepared and sent to all dental providers as soon as possible. General Information - Crown services require radiographs, photographs, other imaging media or other documentation which depict the pretreatment condition, and must be available for review by the Department or its designee. Policy revisions and/or clarifications specific to procedure code D2930 (Prefabricated Stainless Steel Crown-primary tooth) are as follows: Stainless steel crowns (D2930) may be placed on primary teeth that exhibit any of th e following indications, when failure of other available restorative materials is likely to occur prior to the natural shedding of the tooth:Additionally, a stainless steel crown (D2930) may be authorized to restore an abscessed primary 2nd molar (in conjunction with a pulpectomy) prior to the eruption of the permanent 1st molar to avoid placement of an indicated distal shoe space maintainer. Stainless steel crowns (D2930) are not indicated and reimbursement should not be claimed in the following circumstances: 1) primary teeth with abscess or bone resorption; or 2) primary teeth where root resorption equals or exceeds 75% of the root; or 3) primary teeth with insufficient tooth structure remaining so as to have a poor prognosis of success, i.e. unrestorable; or 4) incipient carious lesions. Should you have any questions related to this matter, you may contact the Dental Medicaid Unit by calling 504-619-8589. BHSF
Form 9-M (Referral for Pregnancy Related Dental Services) BHSF Form 9-M is utilized in association with the Expanded Dental Services for Pregnant Women (EDSPW) Program. This referral form will verify pregnancy as well as provide additional important information. The recipient (patient) is required to obtain the original completed BHSF Form 9-M from the medical professional rendering the pregnancy care to provide to the dentist prior to receiving dental services. Prior to rendering any services, the dental provider must obtain the original BHSF Form 9-M with the signature of the medical professional providing the pregnancy care. Facsimile copies are not acceptable. The original form must be kept in the patient’s dental record. A copy of this form must be submitted to the Medicaid Dental Prior Authorization Unit when requesting prior authorization for any of the EDSPW Program services requiring prior authorization. The BHSF Form 9-M (issue date 11/03), was distributed to obstetricians/gynecologists and other medical professionals who provide pregnancy care as well as all dental providers. This form has recently been revised with an issue date of 12/03 and will be mailed to the above -mentioned providers as soon as possible. Until receipt of the revised form, providers must continue to utilize the forms with the issue date 11/03. Upon receipt of the BHSF Form 9-M revision, previous issue(s) become obsolete. Blank forms may be photocopied for distribution as needed. Additional copies of this form may also be requested by calling Unisys Provider Relations at (800) 473-2783 or (225) 924-5040. Should you have any questions regarding this matter, you may contact the Dental Medicaid Unit by calling 504-619-8589. Resources for Amalgam Waste Handling/Disposal The Board of Trustees of the American Dental Association voted in January 2003 to "Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Amalgam Waste." The ADA urges dentists to implement these practices to help reduce the effect of amalgam waste on the environment. If you are an LDA member, click here to learn more about the ADA's Best Management Practices. |
| Last updated 8/30/05. |