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◄ Back to What´s New At Savon - Monthly Newsletter Home Page February 2020 NewsletterWhat´s New at Savon
Quote Of The Month: “ This Valentine´s Day, I wish to take you to the secret place of our love — that private abode that is only known to your heart and mine — and leave you there while I go out and watch a basketball game.” (Author Unknown) Congratulations To: To Your Health With Jourdin Hendershot: Ptosis
If you are a candidate for surgery, there are two common types of surgical treatments:
If you have this condition, it´s important to see your doctor and have a medical assessment done. If drooping eyelid(s) are interfering with your vision, (medical reason), your insurance may pay for the procedure. Most insurance will not pay when your surgery is done strictly for cosmetic (non-medical) reasons. If you have questions you would like to discuss with Jourdin, feel free to drop her an email by clicking here. Grandma´s Kitchen With Grandma C.: Crabby Cheesy Spinach And Egg Muffins
Line muffin tin with silicone muffin cups, or grease well with olive oil. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until blended. Add salt, pepper and spices. Stir. Add crab meat, bacon, spinach and parmesan cheese and mix until everything is coated. Pour into muffin tin and fill each about halfway. Bake 20 minutes or until eggs rise and are slightly golden on top. Recipe makes 12 to 16 egg muffins. They will keep in a refrigerator for approximately 4-5 days, so they´re an easy morning meal if you just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm them up! Enjoy! And remember, if it looks and smells good, eat it!! If you have a recipe that you would like to share with Grandma C., drop her an email by clicking here.
Crazy, Zany Facts About Leap Year We Bet You Didn´t Know
Dental Talk - A Member Blog Forum:
These are just a few of the topics. Our blog site contains many other interesting topics. Please join us!! Questions From Our MembersD. Davis of Newport Beach, California asks:“I am an obese man with sleep apnea. My doctor has suggested that trimming my tongue fat may help with my sleep apena. Is there any truth to this?” Savon’s AnswerYes, it does appear that reducing tongue fat may help clear up obstructive sleep apena. In a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers used a M.R.I. to measure the effect of weight loss on the upper airway in obese patients. They found that a reduction in tongue fat lessened the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms.About 22 million Americans have sleep apnea, which can be a potentially fatal health condition. Not only does it disrupt your sleep, it can increase your risk for high blood pressure and stroke. Obesity is the primary risk factor for developing sleep apnea, but a recessed jaw or large tonsils can also be the cause. Tooth Talk With Tommy The Wisdom Tooth Dentist Who Pulled Teeth While On Hoverboard Is ConvictedA direct reprint from an article written January 21, 2020 By Melissa Busch, DrBicuspid.com assistant editor
“Lookhart believed that he could get away with his fraud indefinitely, and that he believed his scheme was foolproof,” Wolverton wrote in an order accompanying his verdict. Calling the state´s evidence in the case “simply overwhelming,” the judge also found the dentist´s practice, Lookhart Dental, doing business as Clear Creek Dental, guilty of all 40 counts alleged against it. His practice faces potential fines of about $3 million. The large cache of evidence submitted at trial that “was often supported, and often in excruciating detail, by Lookhart´s own texts, photos, and videos,” the judge wrote. Prosecutors also believe patient testimony, specifically that from patient Veronica Wilhelm, led to Dr. Lookhart´s conviction. In July 2016, the dentist was filmed riding a hoverboard while working on Wilhelm. He sent the video to several people and joked that it was the “new standard of care,” according to charging documents. Wilhelm only learned of the video when authorities contacted her. Wilhelm testified that she didn´t consent to being filmed while sedated or having her teeth removed while Dr. Lookhart was on a hoverboard. If he had asked, she testified that she wouldn´t have given her consent. How it began After graduating from dental school in 2014, Dr. Lookhart began working as an independent contractor at Alaska Dental Arts in Anchorage, which was owned by Broc Brimhall, DMD, and Shane Rhoton, DDS. Shortly after arriving, Dr. Lookhart also obtained a business license for his own business, Lookhart Dental. In 2014, Dr. Lookhart became the solo dentist at Alaska Dental Arts, and he was expected to build the practice with little assistance from the clinic owners. Dr. Lookhart was to be paid the greater of $240,000 a year or 30% of the money he was able to generate at the practice, according to the Alaska Department of Law. He struggled to do this on his own, so he hired Cranford as his office manager in March 2015. Most of his patients were covered by Medicaid. Cranford encouraged Dr. Lookhart to begin offering IV sedation to Medicaid patients as an alternative to more common and less costly anesthetizing methods. Typically, the cost for IV sedation is not included in a Medicaid patient´s $1,150 annual limit for nonemergency procedures, so this became a highly profitable but illegal way for Dr. Lookhart to build up his practice, according to the press release. Dr. Lookhart billed Medicaid under a different provider ID and sent the money directly to his home to cut his partners out of up to $350,000 in reimbursements. Since private dental insurance often doesn´t cover IV sedation, Dr. Lookhart also began offering private-pay clients the option of paying a $450 flat fee. However, he was billing Medicaid as much as $2,049 for the same service. Medicaid regulations specifically prohibit providers from billing Medicaid more than the general public. In 2016, the owners told Dr. Lookhart that he needed to purchase the business from them or be terminated. He opted to buy it for $2 million and changed its name to Clear Creek Dental, according to charging documents. He continued to push patients to choose IV sedation. In 2016, his practice alone was responsible for 31% of the total Alaska Medicaid payments made for IV sedation, according to the release. Medicaid has paid Dr. Lookhart approximately $1.9 million for IV sedation services since he obtained his IV sedation license in 2015. However, he had submitted bills for approximately $2.5 million to the state program, the Alaska Department of Law noted. “Lookhart specifically intended to steal from the Alaska Medicaid program, that Lookhart did so by means of illegally practicing dentistry, and that Lookhart placed his patients in substantial risk of serious physical injury while doing so,” the judge wrote. Cranford entered into a plea agreement for her role in the scheme. She is scheduled for sentencing on February 3, according to the release. Until next time; brush, floss and keep smiling! New Schedule Of Benefits Goes Into Effect 3/01/2020 And Will Be Available For Download SoonWe have completed the process of examining the Schedule of Benefits and the new Schedule of Benefits will be available on our website by February 20th.The last update to the Schedule of Benefits was June of 2018. We worked very hard to keep the fees that you pay dental care as low as possible and we are confident that plan has stayed true to our mission statement; “To provide quality and timely dental care at a price that is fair and reasonable to the member and the dentist.” You may download the new Schedule Of Benefits for your state by following this link or by visiting the members page at WWW.MYSdp.com. The next examination of the Schedule of Benefits will be in the fall of 2021. Thank you for your continued trust in Savon Dental Plan and rest assured that we will continue to work hard to protect that trust. |
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