Medicaid Funded Teledentistry in California – Scope of Practice By Any Other Name

Medi-Cal's great experiment in teledentistry is about to begin on January 1, 2015. Medicaid-funded dentistry in California is getting a group make over, courtesy of recent legislation expanding the types of procedures hygienists can perform without onsite supervison by a dentist, allowing remote consultation (hence teledentistry's name, based on the remote and not necessarily on-site consultation  and examination relationship allowed to be reimbursed).

Can't say I think "teledentistry" really captures it, though.  The dental services, in considerable part, will not be delivered remotely, just the collaboration.  Oh, and teledermatology is folded in there as well. There are lots and lots of other possibilities for removing the on site supervision scope of practice restrictions in health care if this California experiment goes well.