COVID-19 Impact on the Dental Care System
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of the oral health care system. Patients, dental providers, educators, and regulators are being asked to rapidly adjust to the COVID-19 crisis with almost no roadmap.
Organizations, associations, and government agencies are all working on responses to the problem in their respective areas of expertise yet often with little awareness of concurrent changes in interrelated systems.
We are dedicated to sharing information on immediate impact to the dental care system in the following 4 domains:
Financing
- Immediate impact of closures on the dental delivery system across multiple sectors (private practice, dental service organizations [DSOs], safety net, community-based)
- Strategies being used to reopen and short-term impact on dental providers, their practices, and patients
- Forecasts for changes which may have longer term impact on care delivery, such as widespread use of telehealth and emphasis on minimally invasive dentistry
- Differential impact on safety net services, access, and workforce
19 Results
April 29, 2021
HPI: Consumer Confidence in Returning to the Dental Office Hits New High
ADA provides data from a recent HPI poll revealing consumer confidence related to dentistry. The HPI poll also covers office recovery, financial sustainability, relief programs, and vaccinations at dental offices.
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March 25, 2021
The Pandemic’s Economic Impact on Dental Practices in the US
SoftwarePundit releases results of their study on the impact of COVID-19 on dental practices. Performance data from 8,000 dental practices from all 50 states were collected and provided by Dental Intelligence. One finding indicates a 6% revenue decline in 2020.
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March 3, 2021
Attorney General Issues Consumer Warnings About Illegal COVID-19 Fees
California Attorney General alerts Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal recipients to report illegal COVID-19 fees. These fees were intended to offset the costs for proper infection control practices during the pandemic, however, recipients of Medicare, TriCare, Medi-Cal, and Denti-Cal are not obligated to pay these fees. Reports should be sent to their respective departments for investigation.
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January 11, 2021
How are Delta Dental Companies Responding to COVID-19?
Delta Dental Institute provides a comprehensive list of the most recent programs launched by Delta Dental companies in supporting dentists, nonprofits, and health centers. Links to various programs, including financial assistance and relief programs, are categorized by state.
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December 7, 2020
If Congress Doesn’t Invest in States Soon, People May Start Losing Oral Health Services
Community Catalyst Health Policy Hub explains the need for additional federal funding in order to prevent state Medicaid budget cuts in 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuts to oral health care are already being discussed in states such as Washington and Wisconsin.
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December 2, 2020
Health Insurance Providers Respond to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) releases a blog post highlighting the changes made to better serve their consumers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes made to dental coverage, including benefits for tele-dentistry, are highlighted.
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November 23, 2020
Alternative Payment Models in Dentistry
DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement releases a new report revealing the need for provider awareness and education about alternative payment models within the oral health care system.
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September 22, 2020
HHS revises Provider Relief Fund reporting requirements
ADA News highlights reporting requirements including submitting all health care-related expenses attributed to COVID-19, applying a negative change in provider’s net patient care operating income on payments not fully expended on health-care related expenses, and explaining the importance of maintaining appropriate records for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) auditing purposes.
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September 22, 2020
COVID-19 Economic Impact on Dental Practices
ADA’s Health Policy Institute (HPI) provides results to a bi-weekly survey sent to dental providers to provide insight on the economic impact of COVID-19 on dental practices. Additionally, ADA HPI modeling predicts dental care spending to decline up to 38% in 2020 and 20% in 2021.
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August 28, 2020
Modeling the Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Insurance Coverage and Utilization
This article published in the Journal of Dental Research describes a model to predict the impact of unemployment rates on dental insurance coverage of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the authors discuss how dental insurance coverage will impact care utilization and outcomes.
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August 6, 2020
Pallone Announces Investigation Into Health and Dental Insurance Companies’ Business Practices Amid Covid-19 Pandemic
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce begins investigation into health and dental insurance companies based upon reports that many of the companies are documenting record profit margins during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Energy and Commerce Committee will send oversight letters to insurance companies to commence investigations.
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July 31, 2020
HHS Extends Application Deadline for Medicaid Providers and Plans to Reopen Portal to Certain Medicare Providers
A news release by the US Department of Health & Human Services extending the application deadline for Medicaid providers to Friday, 08/28/2020 and describing plans to reopen the portal to certain Medicare providers.
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July 29, 2020
HR7819 – Eliminating the Provider Relief Fund Tax Penalties Act of 2020
The 116th Congress introduces HR 7819 Eliminating the Provider Relief Fund Tax Penalties Act of 2020 which highlights the economic difficulties that dental practices are experiencing amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Enacting this bill will make pandemic-related expenses attributed to the Provider Relief Funds tax deductible.
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July 29, 2020
Frequently Asked Questions: HHS Provider Relief Fund
ADA provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Provider Relief Fund. Topics covered include eligibility, reimbursement criteria, deadlines, balance billing (surprise billing), reporting requirements, and the Provider Relief Fund public list. Additional resources are included to assist with the application process.
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July 21, 2020
Minnesota Dental Therapists Face Employment Challenges Amid Pandemic
The Pew Charitable Trusts reports survey findings from the Minnesota Dental Therapy Association (MDTA) revealing the impact of the pandemic on employment of dental therapists. At the time of publishing, 12% of dental therapists reported working either full-time or on a reduced schedule.
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June 15, 2020
HR7216 – Small Business PPE Tax Credit Act
The 116th Congress introduces bill H.R. 7216 which introduces a tax credit for small businesses to offset the cost of attaining personal protective equipment (PPE) amidst the pandemic. Qualified PPE includes all equipment that would reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus, including items like N95 masks, gloves and cleaning supplies.
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April 1, 2020
COVID-19: Impact to Dental Utilization
Milliman, an independent risk management company, publishes a white paper article on the impacts of COVID-19 on dental utilization. The article describes the impact in 2 phases: 1) Reduction in dental utilization during COVID-19 and 2) Reduction in dental utilization due to economic effects of COVID-19.
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March 26, 2020
CARES Act Signed Into Law, Will Provide Targeted Relief for Dentists, Dental Teams
An article written by the California Dental Association (CDA) informing their members about the third legislative relief package of HR748 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. CDA highlights the most useful information for dentists, dental students and dental team members.
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January 1, 2020
COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
The ADA Center for Professional Success’ COVID-19 Center provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding financial and dental benefits. Topics covered include business interruption insurance, provider relief funds, small business administration loans, and tips on billing and coding for teledentistry appointments.
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