July 23, 2012
Last Thursday, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue signed Senate Bill 655, which addresses concerns regarding dental care in North Carolina, a state that currently ranks 47th in the nation in access to dental care. There will be a six-member task force “to ensure the continued expansion of access to high-quality, affordable dental care in North Carolina” with representatives from the Alliance for Access to Dental Care, the NC Dental Society, the NC Board of Dental Examiners, as well as non-dental industry members, according to Business Wire.
Doug Brown, CEO, Affordable Care, Inc. and a member of the Alliance for Access to Dental Care:
“The passage of (N.C.) Senate Bill 655 is a victory for North Carolina citizens – their access to quality dental care has been preserved. Members of the NC General Assembly, NC Board of Dental Examiners, NC Dental Society, and Alliance for Access to Dental Care worked together to forge a compromise bill that brought all parties to a common agreement. This bill maintains dentists’ abilities to work with dental services organizations (DSOs), which handle administrative functions, so that they have more time to focus on patient care. Our 35-year history of operating in North Carolina makes us a proud corporate citizen, and we are pleased to be able to continue to support the affiliated dentists in their mission to provide much-needed dental care across the state.”
How does the bill allow dentists and DSOs to work together? “What we’re trying to do is make sure that patient care decisions are in the hands of the dentists – to allow dental service organizations and dentists to work together under clear guidelines so that they understand their respective roles, and that DSOs don’t step into patient areas and affect the authority of the dentists,” said Alec Parker, Executive Director of the NC Dental Society. “It’s really just something for us that, hopefully, will create some greater definition for where the lines are. Unclear lines have certainly been the source for contention and litigation in the past.”
Not everyone is pleased with the new regulations, however. Federal Trade Commission staffers concluded that SB 655 "may deny consumers of dental services the benefits of competition spurred by the efficiencies that (dental service organizations) can offer, including the potential for lower prices, improved access to care, and greater choice."
Read more about the bill and the organizations behind it onBusiness Wire.
