Category: ODA Today

Opioid prescribing in Ohio continued to decline in 2015, according to a report from the State Board of Pharmacy’s Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS).    In 2015, the total doses of opioids dispensed to Ohio patients decreased to 701 million from a high of 793 million in 2012, a drop of 11.6 percent.  The number of ... [continue reading]

The deadline to apply for the Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program is May 2. The ODLRP was created in 2003 and is fully funded by Ohio dentists. It provides loan repayment for dentists who practice in designated shortage areas, treat Medicaid patients and provide care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Eligible candidates ... [continue reading]

Much has been made of Justice Antonin Scalia's recent death. Conservatives view his death as a great loss for America and the U.S. Supreme Court. Liberals view it as an opportunity to add another progressive voice to America’s highest court. Unquestionably, Scalia had a significant impact on American law over the last 30 years. It is unclear ... [continue reading]

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of National Coordinator (ONC) recently released new guidance regarding patient access to medical information. The regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) protect the privacy and security of individuals’ identifiable health information and ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Dental Association has received a number calls recently from dental practices asking about the appropriate use of the adult prophylaxis (D1110), child prophylaxis (D1120) and periodontal maintenance (D4910) codes. In a nutshell, the answer to the questions is the dental practice must utilize the code that most accurately reflects the ... [continue reading]

We love order and predictability in life. People spend years working on predictions. Better predictions, better results. To achieve success, business gurus urge us to “skate where the puck is going to be.” We study what has happened in the past and work to understand the patterns. From these, we create models that are designed to ... [continue reading]

About once a month I make trips to Cincinnati. Every time I return home on I-75, a specific beggar seems to be a fixture at the end of the exit ramp that I take, and I’m not certain he’s legit. Sometimes I give him money, but most times I don’t make eye contact and keep moving. That’s the key to begging success ... ... [continue reading]

The annual ODA Foundation raffle is one of the primary sources of funding for oral health-related grants and scholarships. Raffle tickets are $100 each, two for $175 or six for $500, and only 700 will be sold. This year’s raffle prizes are: Winner’s choice of a 2 year/10,000 mile lease (terms established by Crown Mercedes) on a 2016 ... [continue reading]

The Medicaid fee-for-service program is starting another round of revalidating providers. Federal regulation requires state Medicaid agencies to revalidate the enrollment of all Medicaid providers at least every five years. While this revalidation cycle is not focused on dentists, revalidation letters are being sent to certain providers. Providers ... [continue reading]

ODA Foundation scholarship applications for 2016 are now available. The deadline to apply is July 1. Dental students who will enter their second, third and fourth year of dental school in September 2016, are Ohio residents, are members of ASDA and have financial need are eligible to apply for an ODA Foundation Dental Student Scholarship. To ... [continue reading]