Want To Know Why ObamaCare’s Meaningful Use Requirements For Dentists Will Never Happen

meaningfuluseBy Darrell Pruitt, DDS

“As you might have recently read, Medicaid, along with Obamacare has fallen out of favor with many dentists across the nation due to Maine’s revenue-driven, ACA-style audits of its MaineCare dentists (Medicaid). Some clinics face more than $200,000 in penalties under a new audit system that threatens to wipe out services for kids.”

Want to know why Obamacare’s Meaningful Use requirements for dentists will never happen? Let me show you.

 Today, SuccessEHS, a division of Vitera Healthcare Solutions, posted on their Success Talk Blog a slide presentation titled “Dentistry & Meaningful Use – Medicaid.”

http://info.successehs.com/blog/bid/325423/dentistry-meaningful-use-medicaid?source=Blog_Email_[Dentistry%20%26%20Meaningf]

 As you might have recently read, Medicaid, along with Obamacare has fallen out of favor with many dentists across the nation due to Maine’s revenue-driven, ACA-style audits of its MaineCare dentists (Medicaid). (See: “MaineCare dentists hit with massive fines for minor clerical errors, they say – Some clinics face more than $200,000 in penalties under a new audit system that threatens to wipe out services for kids.” By Joe Lawlor, staff writer for Portland Press Herald, November 6, 2013).

http://www.pressherald.com/news/MaineCare_dentists_hit_with_massive_fines_for_minor_clerical_errors__they_say_.html

 Lawlor writes: “The audits are intended to root out fraud and abuse, but dentists told the Portland Press Herald that auditors are finding typographical or clerical errors that do not compromise patients’ care or defraud the government.” According to Lawlor’s article, the auditors are paid commission. It is called “clawback.”

 Physicians who accepted stimulus money for participating in Meaningful Use requirements – which are as meaningful as the ACA is Affordable – are already familiar with clawback audits. Like HIPAA-audits, they are random as well as complaint-driven.

 So if the state governments continue to run off their charitable, caring dentists who want to help the poor more than they want to make a profit, should children with toothaches who don’t understand politics be nevertheless encouraged to contact their state representatives?

 Dear Success EHS:

Would you mind listing the Meaningful Use requirements for dentists – including an explanation of how the tasks will improve dental care?

 And if possible, can you provide the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimate of how much Meaningful Use is expected to increase cost of providing dentalcare to the poor?

 Also, if dentists attest to the MU requirements, they naturally subject themselves to audits. Can dentists expect such audits to be fair?

 Finally, did taxpayer money (HHS?) fund the advertisement?

 Sincerely,

D. Kellus Pruitt DDS

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