PostHeaderIcon ADA not so happy about Obama’s healthcare bill



The American Dental Association (ADA) is not all smiles for the Obama healthcare reform. Reason? The new proposal doesn’t increase Medicaid payment rates and doesn’t decrease the administrative burden in taking care of indigent patients. The healthcare revamp doesn’t answer the dentist’s main concern--- the need to fix the Medicaid payment scheme which pays less than cost of keeping the business. ADA does not approve of a single-payer plan if it will mandate their compulsory participation.

For lack of monetary incentive, only about 15%-20% of dentists service Medicaid patients and some dentists opt to just give free treatment because of low and tedious reimbursement process.

Yet there are provisions in the bill that ADA supports. The group somehow agrees with the new house bill and the Senate Health Labor and Pensions (HELP) plan of expanding dental care---more for prevention treatment and infrastructure funding.

ADA supports greater patient access to dental services by increasing personnel in community health centers. The organization supports the bill’s proposal of eliminating out of the pocket payments for patients. (Photo Credi: Leannemichelle) =0=

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