The American Dental Association is urging Congress to update the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act with oral healthcare in mind, according to a Jan. 21 news release from the ADA.
Here are five things to know:
- The ADA is pushing for lawmakers to prioritize dental interoperability, administrative simplification and evidence-based quality measurement in updates to MACRA.
- The current lack of interoperability between medical and dental records creates additional costs and administrative tasks for dental practices that provide care to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Development of integrated medical-dental record and data systems are also delayed due to the interoperability.
- The organization asked for technical assistance and financial incentives for dental vendors to invest more into interoperability.
- Dental practices could save up to $580 million annually if standardized electronic eligibility and benefit verification were implemented by Medicare Advantage plans, according to the 2024 CAQH Index.
- In addition, the ADA proposed changes to the merit-based incentive payment system, which most dentists do not currently qualify for, replacing it with a clinician-led program that leans on evidence-based measures.
