Debra Engelhardt-Nas

@HowardFarran Great advice!

Practice long enough and you learn a painful truth. Dentistry is not just enamel and occlusion. It is paperwork, politics, and payers who can change the rules overnight and expect you to explain it by lunch. That is why the recent situation in Minnesota matters. The federal government paused about $250 million in Medicaid payments while alleging weak oversight and fraud concerns. Minnesota pushed back in court, arguing the federal government cannot simply shut off funding without due process. For dentists treating Medicaid patients, headlines like this trigger a familiar sound: the audit cart rolling down the hallway. Fraud in large public programs is real, but the conversation around it is often political theater. Put “fraud,” “Medicaid,” and “immigration” in the same headline and outrage spreads instantly. Meanwhile, dentists are not political hobbyists. We are trying to stay compliant, solvent, and focused on patients. The reality is more mundane. In large programs, improper payments happen for many reasons: honest mistakes, poor systems, and sometimes organized fraud. Often the problems start in the middle layers, brokers, vendors, or service companies, because they scale billing far faster than a solo dentist can scale a crown prep. When enforcement arrives, however, the easiest target is the clinician with a license, a chart, and a tax ID. For dentistry the most likely outcome is not catastrophe but friction: more oversight, more documentation, and more claim scrutiny. In tighter budget environments, states may also trim optional benefits or squeeze reimbursement. Dentistry, especially adult Medicaid dental care, is often treated like a budget line rather than healthcare. The response for dentists is straightforward. Run your Medicaid practice as if you will be audited, because eventually you might be. Make documentation boringly defensible. Tie symptoms, findings, radiographs, and diagnoses clearly to treatment decisions. Build simple systems that prevent technical denials and train the team to verify eligibility and coverage on the day of service. Just as important, protect patient trust. When patients hear headlines about frozen funds or fraud investigations, they worry their care will disappear. Clear explanations and calm communication keep the operatory steady and the schedule full. The offices that survive regulatory waves are rarely the loudest voices online. They are the ones with consistent systems, trained teams, and charts that read like clinical stories rather than billing stories. The real question for every practice is simple. If an audit letter arrived tomorrow, would your records tell the story of patient care or the story of a claim?

@HowardFarran @Dentaltown @Orthotown1 @Hygienetown Ross and I worked together since 1995 until the practice sold in 2021. We worked together beautifully building fee for service practice. Great team. Great culture.

Can Husband and Wife Dental Teams Work? Real Advice from Dentists Who’ve Tried It dentaltown.com/messageboard/t…  @Dentaltown @Orthotown1 @Hygienetown

@JDVanceNewsX Yes

🚨BREAKING: If Trump’s administration releases Epstein's full list Would you support that move? A. Yes B. No

In 2005, a nursing home in the US got a six-month-old kitten named Oscar as a therapy cat. The staff soon noticed something unusual about him. Oscar often liked to be by himself, but sometimes he would go and lie next to one of the residents. Strangely, the resident he chose would often pass away within a few hours. At first, the workers didn't think it was important, but after it happened 20 times, they started to think Oscar knew when someone was going to die. So, they began to call the resident's family if they saw Oscar with them. Some people think Oscar could sense certain smells from dying cells, and that's why he went to comfort residents who were alone. There was even a time when the staff thought one resident was going to die, but Oscar stayed with a different, healthier-looking person, who then died first. Oscar lived until 2022 and was right about more than 100 deaths during his life.

@_B___S Smoky

What would you name him?

This is a great meeting. Mark your calendar!

Episode 21: Dental patient questions and relationships with Debra Engelhardt-Nash by Dentistry Speaks on #SoundCloud on.soundcloud.com/E1ncdnQDv1GB9L…

Looking forward to this!

@chancetherapper #TheVoice didn’t know you before this show-totally impressed.

@NiallOfficial #TheVoice totally love you as a coach!!

@NiallOfficial #TheVoice

2024 Meeting for Academy for Private Dental Practice youtu.be/FJPPZ3Bos74 via @YouTube

AADP has been renamed to Academy for Private Dental Practice. Join the meeting in 2024 - March 7-9 Ft Lauderdale !

@TweeetsOfDogs Hello

I was just adopted. Don't scroll without saying hello to me ❤️🥹

@blakeshelton #TheVoice well done sir- your team was amazing!!

@NBCTheVoice Blake has the best Team!!

let your phone finish with autocorrect: this season of the voice ______

@blakeshelton #TheVoice Bodie is amazing!!

@blakeshelton #TheVoice you have the best team this season!!!