California’s minimum wage will rise on Jan. 1 to $16 per hour for employers of every size as a result of inflation. Wages in more than 30 California counties are already higher and most of them will rise again in either January or July. Employers always must pay the local minimum wage in the employer’s place of business if it is higher than California’s minimum wage. Dentists should familiarize themselves with their local government wage order and ordinances. A CDA member resource links to current city and county wage orders and ordinances.

A new ADA-endorsed guideline recommends acetaminophen and NSAIDs like ibuprofen as first-line treatments for short-term dental pain in children under age 12.

When used as directed, these medications can effectively manage a child’s pain after a tooth extraction or during a toothache when dental care is not immediately available.

A new Los Angeles city ordinance requires employers who hire and retain freelance workers to provide a written contract, provide timely payments and maintain written records. The ordinance also established rights for freelance workers, including the ability to seek recoverable damages. Practice owners throughout California should examine the legal relationships with their workers and ensure they are classifying and paying associate dentists correctly. Dentists employed as associates or who are considering associateship should similarly understand their job classification and expect or request a written contract.

Obtaining proper, legal consent for nonverbal adults is of paramount importance in the dental practice. By becoming familiar with local laws, employing effective communication strategies, involving caregivers and advocate, and maintaining documentation, dentists can provide ethical care for a vulnerable population. 

The new law addresses a common concern CDA hears from members who say they lack clarity on the type of dental benefit plan they are dealing with until the billing process has been completed and the plan has denied coverage or cited a billing exemption for services already rendered. The new law helps to resolve this concern by requiring plans, beginning in January 2025, to disclose in multiple ways whether a plan is state or federally regulated. The improved disclosure also will make it easier for patients and dentists to identify which regulatory entity to contact if a conflict occurs with a plan.

Dental practices must print and display in the workplace two revised posters issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. One poster pertains to lactation accommodation and the second to the Employee Polygraph Protection Act. Neither updated poster is included in the complimentary Required Poster Set CDA mailed in April to confirmed practice owners as a benefit of membership. Therefore, dentists will need to download, print and affix the updated poster over the poster currently displayed in their office.

Qualified California small businesses that incurred costs for providing COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave between Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2022, and had 26 to 49 employees during that period, can apply now for a one-time grant through the California Small Business and Nonprofit COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Relief Grant Program. Award amounts range from $5,000 to $50,000 based on the amount of leave provided. Read on for a summary of eligibility and documentation requirements and how to apply.

Learn how far the Medi-Cal Dental Program has come in the last few years. CDA has been at the center of the push to improve the program and is pleased with the historic improvements that include increased reimbursement rates, expansion of patient benefits and simplified provider enrollment. Learn about other services available to your Medi-Cal patients, including language translation and free transportation to and from appointments, as well as education and training to help dentists establish and care for patients and follow program policies and procedures.

A new safety needle, or safety sharp, is on the market and is now the fifth safety sharp available to California dentists. Dental practices that do not use safety sharps are required to document in their Cal/OSHA-required exposure control plan the reasons why the safety sharps are not used and why other brands or types of sharps are used. Dentists can use CDA’s sample form to evaluate the new NopoGuard as part of that required documentation.

CDA encourages dentists to review continuing education rules and requirements as the Dental Board of California resumes conducting C.E. audits this year. The board will mail audit notices to randomly selected licensees who have 30 days to respond with all requested C.E. documentation. Common C.E. deficiencies include (1) licensee has not competed a mandatory C.E. course and/or the minimum required units for license renewal and (2) licensee did not take a mandatory C.E. course from a board-approved provider.

Small businesses, including dental practices in California, with at least one employee who utilizes California’s Paid Family Leave program benefits on or after June 1, 2022, are eligible to apply online for grants up to $2,000 per employee on the leave. The grant can be used to offset the increased costs associated with employees who are on leave. Such costs might include hiring new staff or training existing staff to cover the duties of the employee on leave.

The new Cal/OSHA regulations will remain in effect for two years. Some requirements remain unchanged while other new provisions are intended to help employers “provide consistent protections to workers” and provide the flexibility to respond to future changes in guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health. Employers still must maintain a written COVID-19 prevention plan that is either part of or an addendum to their injury and illness prevention plan. CDA has an updated COVID Addendum to the IIPP for dentists’ use.

Delta Dental of California is revising its Delta Dental of California Participating Provider Agreement effective June 1, 2022. Although described as an “enhancement,” the contract amendment alters reimbursement for Premier or PPO contracted dentists who treat DeltaCare® enrollees (Delta’s closed network HMO product) as out-of-network providers. 

The contractual amendment revises the reimbursement from the dentists’ submitted fees to the lesser of submitted, Premier and PPO fees. The amendment does not reduce existing approved fees for Premier or PPO dentists. It will only affect reimbursements for DeltaCare® enrollees treated by Premier/PPO providers.