Dentaltown June 2020 - 14

message board

We Must All Bill for PPE
Townies discuss new protocols for PPE and how to properly bill their insurance (or patients)

dds4life
Member Since: 03/08/05
Post: 1 of 89

This is the time to band together to bill our patients a PPE fee. It can be nominal, like
$10-$15. We must also bill the insurance company for this via code D1999. I would tell the
patient this fee may or may not be covered by insurance, but we are hoping insurance takes the
side of the patient and covers this fee for them; if they do, we will credit to their account. This
has to be done across the country to send a message to the insurances, and it won't work if some
do and some don't. Please let's do this. These are unprecedented times, and many have invested
not only in PPE but filters, etc. ■
4/29/2020

befuddled
Member Since: 11/01/03
Post: 2 of 89

I'm not an attorney by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm pretty sure that all of us
"banding together" to charge a fee isn't legal. ■
4/29/2020

tinker-bell
Member Since: 11/01/03
Post: 3 of 89

I won't. I add everything to my total cost and increase my fee. Adding a code to the bill is
just rubbing another acid into the wound. ■
4/29/2020

ChinMusic
Member Since: 10/21/02
Post: 8 of 89

I work for an FQHC now but was in private practice for more than 35 years. To follow the
letter of CDC recommendations is an incredible expense. Just changing gowns every time you
enter or exit a treatment room with the patient unmasked is significant, and good luck even
finding the gowns. In private practice I would be in favor of a separate code. Stuff ain't free. ■
4/29/2020

Dentite8
Member Since: 01/10/02
Post: 9 of 89

All this sounds ridiculous. I'm using just my N95 mask and eye protection and that's it. I
will change careers before I have to wear and change that trash bag between patients. ■
4/29/2020

ChinMusic
Member Since: 10/21/02
Post: 10 of 89

I have to admit it's crossed my mind to re-retire. For most of my career, I wore a dress shirt.
I'm still alive and healthy and raised a healthy family. ■
4/29/2020

bud
Member Since: 02/22/02
Post: 11 of 89

I'm not an attorney either, but I believe "befuddled" is right. The way this is worded would
most likely be against antitrust laws and considered as an attempt at price fi xing. I believe
practice owners should be financially compensated for the costs of doing business. However, for
those of you tied to insurance contracts that are one-sided in favor of the insurance companies,
it may take only one patient complaining to the insurance company for this to get a little messy
(and potentially even more expensive).
If an insurance company wants to enforce the terms of the contract, they will legally have the
upper hand based on any contracts I've ever read. I'm not saying it will get messy; I am saying
it could be based on an insurance company's propensity to enforce the legally binding contracts
that have been signed by many, many practice owners.

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