Over a year ago, BCDHA began working with an independent dental hygienist who raised concerns about not being compensated for specific procedure codes for which dentists do receive reimbursement. BCDHA reached out to insurers to ask for clarification on the discrepancy and to advocate for compensation parity.
Specifically, BCDHA recommended that insurers consider adding the following codes from the BC Dental Hygiene Fee Guide:
- 05001 – Stomatognathic exam
- 05012 – 2 units of Orofacial myofunctional therapy
- 05004 – OMT: Reassessment OMT Exam
Earlier this month, the BCDHA received confirmation from an association member that Canada Life will now cover codes 05001 and 05004. Although these codes are listed as “Dental Exam” in their documents, this recognition represents a significant advancement for dental hygienists.
“We are delighted with this progress and proud of the strides we have made in advocating for our members,” said Cherie Payne, the executive director of the BCDHA. “This achievement underscores the importance of our continued efforts to ensure dental hygienists are fairly compensated for their valuable work.”
BCDHA remains committed to further advocacy efforts and is actively working to have additional codes recognized by insurers, including:
- BC Dental Fee Guide: 14312 – 2 units of Orofacial myofunctional therapy
- BC Dental Hygiene Fee Guide: 05012 – 2 units Orofacial myofunctional therapy
BCDHA invites OMT specialists and practitioners to share their thoughts on these fee guide codes. For more information or to send feedback, please contact: aeidher@bcdha.com.