ADA News (Newspaper) - February 18, 1985, Chicago, Illinois ALLSTAR SWEEPSTAKES PAGE TWO MALPRACTICE LEGISLATION PAGE 14 American Dental Association February 1985 Premiums increase ADA malpractice plan announces rate action severity of claims affect availability of coverage the CNA Com which provide malpractice insurance to some dentists in the ADA Profes Protector announced rate in creases amounting to a nationwide average of 300 for most dentist While these rate adjustments will present an economic hardship for many they are necessary to preserve the longterm stability of the said Eugene chairman of the ADA Council on Though analysts predict that dental malpractice pre probably will never match compa rable rates for physi the dental mal practice insurance industry faces pres sure from some of the same market condi tions as its medical Spurred by a combination of factors including a rising trend in the number and severity of some carriers have ceased to write dental professional liability Most have stiffened their criteria for Some dentists with able claims histories are already experienc ing severe difficulties in obtaining coverage with any according to the Council on Companies remaining in the marketplace have responded with unprecedented rate in Among the Paul Insur ance another major of dental malpractice is in the process of implementing substantial rate in Rates to rise All segments of dentistry will be affected by the Professional Protector Plan rate ad Professional liability premiums for dentists in the lowest risk those who do not use general anesthesia or conscious sedation in crease on an average of about In terms of this is the equivalent of a new countrywide premium of about for this up from a previous average of actual figures will differ sig among states depending upon loss said Brian secre tary to the Council on Class II who perform conscious sedation will experience an average increase in profes liability rates of about Dentists in this category will pay premiums that are approximately three times those of the low est risk classification in their Class III including oral surgeons and other Continued on page 12 Reagan reiterates tax cap support President presents 1986 budget to Congress Reagan has committed himself fully to tax reform and asked Congress once again to impose taxes on health insurance 1986 budget the Presi dent told Congress he still supports the health Although the Administration continues to support legislation expanding individual retirement accounts and to impose a limita tion on the amount of health insurance premiums that employees may re tax these proposals are not in cluded in the budget because they will be part of the forthcoming revenue neutral tax reform the budget In his State of the Union Presi dent Reagan endorsed the principles of the Treasury Departments excellent reform plan and directed Treasury Secretary James Baker to begin bipartisan negotiations with Congress toward enactment of tax re form He said he hoped for enactment of a this The Treasury plan calls for taxation of employee benefits exceeding a month for families and for The budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct 1 would halt the rate of growth in for Medicare for the aged and Medicaid for the reduce federal in volvement in health manpower and cut the budget of the National Institute of Dental Research The President asked Congress to extend until October 1986 the freeze on payments to and other professionals caring for Medicare Rates paid to hospitals under the yearold prospective payment system for groups Continued on page nine ADA Presidentelect Abraham Kobren chairs the Jan 2829 Conference as from left ADA Hillenbrand Fellow Brenda Barman AL and George con ference participants are from left Norman NC Sanford NY Ron NM and Phil See related page Kobren chairs conference Emory trustees vote to close dental school Predoctoral program to end with 1988 graduation culmination of several years discussion led to the Feb 5 decision by the Emory University board of trustees to close its predoctoral dental program with the graduation of its 1988 A dental school has not closed in the United States since when Louis University graduated its last dental The school notified by telegram the 25 students it had accepted for the fall 1985 freshman class that the school would not be able to admit In a followup the school returned the students deposits and application fees and said it will be working with them on an individual basis to find them placements in other explained William assistant to the vice president for health Emory has contacted other dental schools individually and is seeking assistance from the American Association of Dental Schools AADS in placing the Todd Although he will remain at the school to teach and pursue Michael Fritz resigned as dean effective Aug He had been dean since 1982 during the height of discussion as to whether or not Emory should continue to provide dental educa the Emory trustees said at a news con In their press the trustees said that Emory was the only dental school in the Southeast when it was formed in In there are two in the state of and dental schools in each sur rounding dental school was Continued on page II Briefs ADA offices will be closed Feb in observance of Presidents The offices will reopen at Tues Feb Accidental ear damage can occur to users of cordless telephones who do not turn off the ringer before placing the phone to the the Food and Drug Ad ministration FDA has The FDA has fielded more than 100 com plaints of hearing damage caused by the ringing or paging signals of the The ringer should be turned off before the phone is placed to the More than billion was spent on pre scription drugs in the United States in according to a recent Food and Drug Administration report in the Jour nal of the American Medical The ten drugs in 1982 were oral erythromycin antibio propranolol triam terene diazepam amoxicillin oral and digoxin An estimated million smokers par in the 1984 Great American the American Cancer Society That number equals about one in every three Of those participat ing in the Nov 15 million did not light a cigarette that day and the remain der succeeded in cutting back their usual number of The William Gies Foundation for the Advancement of Dentistry invites the editors of professional dental periodicals to submit editorials published during 1984 for the Gies Editorial Editorials containing more than 750 words will not be A cover letter should pro vide the volume and pub in addition to the editors Submit editorials prior to March 22 to Gordon Suite 7315 Wisconsin MD People who have difficulty paying their pay bills from and other health care pro viders according to the American Collectors Association Quoted in the Wall Street an ACA spokesman said people are more con cerned about creditors who can repossess items such as a car or furniture than about doctors The American Medical Association AMA is seeking a grant from the Health Care Financing Administration HCFA for development of a new relative value schedule for physicians services in re Continued on page three
