The ADA Code Revision Committee (CRC), which was responsible for establishing new codes, modifying existing codes and deleting “bad” codes, is gone. Many dentists might be singing “Ding dong the witch is dead!” But is the enemy you know better than the one you don’t?
The CRC was made up equally of representatives from the ADA and the insurance industry, which provided the type of checks and balances that evened out the playing field. It wasn’t perfect, but at least both sides were fairly represented.
Now the CRC is gone and the codification process is controlled by the ADA. While that seems to be good news, the fact is the insurance industry will determine whether or not to reimburse codes. So who is really in control here?
In addition, the change in power in coding has resulted in Delta instituting a reimbursement reduction of 15 percent for dentists in California and Idaho. Such a slashing will dramatically impact the bottom line—and not in a good way—for dentists in these states. As a result. the foreseeable future may be filled with worry and dread for dentists in California and Idaho.
