News Items

Mar 21, 2023

ADA Receives Clarification On No Surprises Act

Dental providers and facilities are “generally required to provide uninsured patients with a good faith estimate of expected charges” unless the patient is enrolled in an excepted benefit plan or coverage such as a stand-alone dental plan, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.

Mar 17, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 10 (March 13-19)

During week ten, the Legislature returned to Committee to hear and amend bills from the opposite chamber. The Legislature will devote most of their time to Committee work until opposite house policy cutoff on March 29. Read for an update on WSDA’s week ten activities in Olympia.

Mar 10, 2023

Court Extends Discovery Period in ADA Lawsuit Against Delta Dental

In 2019, the ADA filed a class action lawsuit against the Delta Dental Plans and the Delta Dental Plans Association, and in January, the federal district court for the Northern District of Illinois amended its scheduling order to allow the parties additional time to conduct discovery.

Mar 10, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 9 (March 6-12)

March 8 was house of origin cutoff, the third major milestone of the 2023 legislative session. This means that bills, with the exception of those necessary to implement the budget, must have been voted out of their respective chamber by March 8 in order to stay “alive” and move forward in the legislative process. Read for an update on WSDA’s week nine activities in Olympia.

Mar 7, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Update: Week 8 (Feb. 27-March 5)

On March 5, the Legislature passed several dental-specific and workforce bills out of the House of Representatives. During week eight, the Legislature devoted their time to debating and voting bills out of their respective chamber of origin. Read for an update on WSDA’s week eight activities in Olympia.

Mar 3, 2023

Review DQAC's Proposed Anesthesia Rules

For more than three years, the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) has been working to update Washington state’s dental anesthesia rules. WSDA encourages members to review the proposed rules and submit questions or concerns via email or virtually at DQAC's March 10 business meeting.

Mar 3, 2023

Secretary of Health Mask Order to End April 3

Effective April 3, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will end the Secretary of Health Statewide Face Covering Order currently in effect for health care (including dental).

Mar 2, 2023

Reminder: ASL Interpreter Provider Obligations

A dental office is considered to be a place of public accommodation and thus is prohibited from discriminating for any reason due to a disability. Accordingly, dental offices are required to provide an interpreter if one is needed to effectively communicate with a hearing-impaired patient.

Mar 2, 2023

Reminder: Dental Infection Control Requirements

The Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) previously finalized dental infection control rules in December 2020, and the majority of these rules became effective January 2021. The rules apply to settings wherever dentistry is provided in Washington and include several requirements that dentists must comply with.