What Dentists Need to Know About the 21st Century Cures Act

Mar 7, 2022

Read our October 2022 update on Cures Act compliance here.

The 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law back in 2016, and there are now certain milestones approaching that dentists must be ready to meet. By and large, the Cures Act has a greater impact on medical practices, but there are certain aspects of the law that matter for dental practices, as well.

Importantly, patients need to be given electronic access, free of charge, to their protected health information (PHI). That ability, via an online patient portal or app, must be in place by December 31, 2022.

With that access, dental patients will have the ability to review their dental visit in real time and request changes. Those changes could be to aspects of the PHI like the patient history, if it was taken down incorrectly, or to other aspects of the visit summary that the patient contests. There will need to be policies in place, and possibly a designated administrative person, to address any requested changes from the patients.

For more information and guidance, read these recent blogs from MLMIC:

• Information Blocking Provisions Outlines in the 21st Century Cures Act
• Considerations for Healthcare Professional Navigating Open Medical Records

MLMIC cautions that failure to adhere to the Cures Act can result in significant fines. Additionally, we encourage policyholders to contact us with any questions regarding the Act or its applications.