Dentists Who Opted Out Of Medicare Still Prohibited From Accepting Payment From Medicare For Services Following Rule Changes

The ADA News (12/5) reports the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have rescinded “certain Medicare Part D and C requirements for providers” following advocacy efforts from the ADA. Dentists will now be able to continue providing “dental care and prescriptions for Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plan beneficiaries,” even if they did not enroll or opt out of Medicare prior to providing services. However, the ADA News reports CMS “has not rescinded the two-year opt-out period for providers, meaning dentists who acted in good faith and chose to opt out of the program are still prohibited from accepting payments for services covered by Medicare Part B or Medicare Advantage plans.” As a result, the claims of patients who receive care from a provider who opted out within the past two years will still be denied.

For more information on the requirement changes and a list of opted out providers, visit CMS.gov. For information on all of the ADA’s advocacy efforts, visit ADA.org/advocacy.