If your dentist closes permanently, how do you find out? What do you need to do to get your records so you can start with a new dentist? Thanks to legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield) dental patients will have advanced warning of closures as well as information on obtaining copies of their records.
“If a dental office closes down, their patients need to be able to access their records so their next dentist can properly continue their care and any ongoing treatments,” said Senator McClure. “This is a commonsense protection to help make sure people get the best dental care possible.”
House Bill 2077 requires that dental facilities are required to inform patients of a planned closure at least 30 days in advance. As part of that requirement, the facilities must inform their patients about how they obtain copies of their dental records.
The legislation also contains several updates to dental rules and cleans up errors in existing law. House Bill 2077 passed the Illinois Senate on May 19th and awaits a concurrence vote in the House.