ADOHTA has had recent communication with Private Healthcare Australia in effort to progress Medicare and PHI provider numbers for our members.

The below information explains that despite the DBA SOP changes on 1^st July 2020,  DTs, DHs and OHTs will NOT be allocated provider numbers and will need to continue to bill for services under a dentist’s provider number.

Please take the time to read these statements issued by the PHA.

Billing requirements with private health insurers

Given the changes to the scope of practice changes announced by Dental Board effective from 1 July 2020, Private Healthcare Australia advises that most funds will not be able to provide rebates for independent dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists due to technical requirements around provider numbers. It is recommended that a formal relationship (or other appropriate structure) be established with a dentist (if one currently does not exists), so as to facilitate the continuation of your services being billed under a dentists provider number for the purposes of claiming a rebate from a private health fund. Please ensure that this relationship exists to ensure no disruption occurs to manner in which your patients (health fund customers) obtain a reimbursement from their individual insurer.

Should any of the three professional categories “dental hygienist, dental therapists and oral health therapists”, issue an account under their own details to a patient with private health insurance, most private health funds are unlikely to be able to pay a rebate at this point in time. As noted above the historical structure of billing under a dentists provider number is still available.

Ongoing discussions around future requirements

While the curtailed consultation on this change has likely impacted some operational requirements, Private Healthcare Australia will continue to work with all professional associations and the Dental Board on investigating any future arrangements where rebates may be payable for independent practice under a more formal structure.

Register to view, complete the steps once done a link will be emailed to you. Available until 31 July 2020.  

https://www.dentalboard.gov.au/news/communiques.aspx

The Dental Board of Australia's May communique is now publicly available on the Board's website.

https://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/COVID-19.aspx

AHPRA advises Registered health practitioners are playing a vital role in treating and containing the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. We are committed to supporting health practitioners to continue to provide safe care to their communities and will continue to update health practitioners and the public with information as it becomes available. All COVID-19 related updates from Ahpra and the National Boards can be found here.

ADA Media Release 23 March 2020

https://www.ada.org.au/News-Media/News-and-Release/Latest-News/COVID19-restrictions-on-dental-practice

Guidance on Dental Treatment during COVID-19 Pandemic 

ADA: Everything you need to know about COVID-19

Over the last few days, the ADA has been providing expert advice to the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and the Chief Medical Officer on a framework to support the continuation of essential dental service.  This is based on a staged, proportionate, pre-planned response to the escalation of COVID-19.

The Dental Board of Australia (the Board) held its 115th meeting on Wednesday 26 February 2020 in Melbourne. This communiqué highlights the key discussions and considerations covered during the Board meeting as well as other relevant information. 

200319 Dental-Board---Communique---Meeting-of-the-Dental-Board-of-Australia---26-February-2020.PDF

Scholarships of $2,000 to $5,000 are currently available to women working in the health and dental sector to help support their participation in a range of career building leadership development programs.

The initiative is providing junior through to executive managers with scholarships to support their growth and development. The scholarships assist with participation in one of three flagship development programs. The programs provide highly collaborative learning environments uniquely tailored to the needs of female leaders.

Expressions of Interest
Find out more and register your interest by completing the Expression of Interest form here prior to Friday, March 20: https://www.wla.edu.au/health.html

Know your scope of practice forums: invitation for dental practitioners and stakeholders

The Dental Board of Australia (the Board) invites dental practitioners and stakeholders to attend information forums about scope of practice in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in March.

The forums are the first three in a series of forums to explain the forthcoming changes to the registration standard for scope of practice. Forums will be held in all capital cities and in some regional centres.

In late 2019, the Board announced Health Ministers had approved the revised standard and supporting guidelines. Advance copies of both documents have been published so dental practitioners can become familiar with them before they come into effect on 1 July 2020.

• Advance copy: Revised Scope of practice registration standard
• Advance copy: Revised Scope of practice guidelines

The forums are one of many activities underway to help dental practitioners understand their obligations under the revised standard.

The Board will also host a national webinar in coming months for practitioners and stakeholders who are unable to attend a forum. The webinar will be recorded and published on a web page dedicated to implementation of the revised standard.

A web page, which will be launched soon, will be a ‘Know your scope of practice’ hub where practitioners can find information, including a reflective practice tool and FAQs. These resources and other materials will be progressively published in the lead up to the standard coming into effect.

Forum information and how to register

At the forums, Dr Murray Thomas, Chair of the Dental Board of Australia, will:

• explain the revised standard
• outline what the changes mean for individual practitioners
• provide insight into the Dental Board's 'Know your scope' activities
• highlight future directions of the Board
• answer questions.

The March forums are;- forums are limited and will be closed when capacity is reached.

• Sydney - Friday 13th March (Closed)
• Melbourne - Friday 20th March
• Perth - Thursday 26 March

Register and further information here;   https://www.dentalboard.gov.au/News/2020-02-25-March-scope-forums.aspx

Dear Stakeholder,

The National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) have launched a new education campaign called ‘be safe first’ to advise consumers of the risks associated with cosmetic procedures particularly those offered by unregistered practitioners. The ‘be safe first’ campaign includes resources to help consumers to know what kinds of questions to ask before going ahead with a cosmetic procedure.

The campaign encourages consumers to think seriously about who is undertaking the procedure, where it is performed, and the product being used before going through with any cosmetic procedure.

About the ‘be safe first’ resources

The ‘be safe first’ resources include a new ‘cosmetic surgery and procedures’ section on the Ahpra website at www.ahpra.gov.au/besafefirst, with dedicated pages for specific audiences including:

• information to help consumers know what questions to ask and what to look out for
• information about who to contact with a concern and the roles and responsibilities of organisations involved in regulating cosmetic procedures and surgery
• a new fact sheet on cosmetic injectables
• information resources for practitioners about cosmetic procedures, including links to guidance developed earlier by the Dental, Medical and Nursing and Midwifery Boards of Australia.

The ‘be safe first’ resources are being supported with a social media campaign.

Key messages from the ‘be safe first’ resources

• All cosmetic procedures have risks.
• When having a cosmetic procedure, consider whether the person who is going to carry out the procedure is appropriately qualified, knowledgeable, skilled and experienced.
• Cosmetic procedures should be provided in a clean and safe environment with products that have been prescribed appropriately.
• If a member of the public is considering a cosmetic procedure, they should ‘be safe first’ and make an informed decision.
• Consumers can ‘be safe first’ by checking out information on the Ahpra website, visit: www.ahpra.gov.au/besafefirst.

We are asking for your help

We are seeking your help to share and promote the ‘be safe first’ key messages and resources to consumers, registered health practitioners and other stakeholders.

We encourage you to share these key messages and the new resources on your website, online platforms or in your publications. You do not need to seek permission to do this. We only ask that you let us know when you do, so we can track how far and wide they go. You can do this by emailing communications@ahpra.gov.au.

To support the ‘be safe first’ social media campaign please follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and remember to use the hashtag #besafefirst and tag @Ahpra to be part of the conversation. If you want to use any of the social media graphics used in the campaign just email communications@ahpra.gov.au.

More information

If you have any feedback and / or questions, please let me know. Thank you for supporting this important initiative by Ahpra and National Boards.