Earlier in the week, Dean Dr. Carole Anne Murdoch-Kinch presented two faculty awards on behalf of the IDA: Dr. Michele Kirkup received the IDA Outstanding Teacher of the Year award, and Dr. Armando Soto received the IDA Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year award.

Congratulations to both Drs. Kirkup and Soto! Click here to read their biographies and accomplishments at IUSD.

Effective January 1, 2021, Indiana prescriptions for controlled substances must be transmitted electronically to the pharmacy. IDA's IDEA Board vetted two companies that provide this service, and IDEA is pleased to announce that DrFirst has been selected as the IDA preferred vendor for electronic prescriptions.

DrFirst offers an iPrescribe app, which can be downloaded to any tablet or phone. Through the app, a practitioner can send controlled substance prescriptions electronically in compliance with Indiana and federal law.

DrFirst is offering its app for FREE to IDA members for the first two years, with a $10 per month fee starting in the third year.

Please be prepared for a thorough verification of your identity as a required part of the enrollment process. This application period will take time and adds to the urgency of enrolling well ahead of the year-end deadline.

DrFirst has scheduled two introductory webinars to educate IDA members on its services. These webinars are identical and offered at two different times for the convenience of members.

It's ADA/IDA membership renewal time: Please renew your dues for 2021. In 2020, the size and strength of ADA/IDA membership played a big role in successfully advocating for the needs of the dental community at the national and state level. The ADA and IDA were here for you in 2020 when you needed it most, and we plan to be here for you again, every day in the coming year.

All IDA members who renew by December 31 will be entered in a drawing to receive two CE giveaways: A complimentary Center for Excellence registration for 2021, valued at $250, and an all-access pass for the 2020 IDA CE On Demand, valued at $100.

Last week the IDA Medicaid Subcommittee hosted a well-received Indiana Medicaid workshop for almost 100 attendees. Presentations totaling five hours were given by three ADA representatives and two staff members from the Indiana Family Social Services Administration.

If you wish to view a recording of the workshop, IDA is offering two versions: One on YouTube available to anyone, and a password-protected version on Wistia for those who wish to receive CE credit for viewing the workshop.

If you plan to watch the workshop and receive CE credits, be sure to use the Wistia version using the links and password below.

Registration is now open for the 2021 Midwest Dental Assembly. The event will take place at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, May 14-16, 2021.

As with previous conferences, the Midwest Dental Assembly will feature multiple CE opportunities, networking events, social activities and the Marketplace of vendors. Early hotel registration is recommended due to limited availability.

The Indiana Department of Revenue has alerted Hoosiers of a tax scam reported by the IRS. This scam is sent through text message and is trying to trick individuals into providing personal information in order to receive a $1,200 Economic Impact Payment.

The scam text message reads: "You have received a direct deposit of $1,200 from COVID-19 TREAS FUND. Further action is required to accept this payment into your account. Continue here to accept this payment …" The text includes a link to a fake web address.

The IRS has advised people who receive this text scam to take a screen shot of the text message and then include the screenshot in an email to phishing@irs.gov with the following information:

More information about the scam can be found on the IRS website.

Some insurers have indicated that COVID-related office closures could delay the processing of paper claims and that dentists who are not already filing electronic claims may wish to consider it as an alternative.

According to Delta Dental, "We recommend all dentists take advantage of Delta's Dental Office Toolkit (DOT) and Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) to facilitate faster claims processing and payments to avoid any delays should there be another closure due to COVID-19, or any other reason.

If you need assistance using DOT or signing up for EFT, please contact your Delta representative."

For an in-office membership plan to be successful, it must be profitable for the practice and a good deal for the patient. Plan Forward CEO Megan Lohman will be sharing Plan Forward's proven process for getting the price right in a workshop on Wednesday, December 2, at 1:15 p.m. EST.

This workshop will present valuable information for those offices with a current membership plan and offices that are considering implementing a plan. Plan Forward is a preferred vendor of the IDA.

Thank you to all of the Indiana volunteers for providing such tremendous care to the elderly, disabled, and medically fragile individuals in our state. Last year, the Indiana Dental Lifeline Network through its Donated Dental Services (DDS) provided more than $750,000 of life-changing treatment to 322 individuals.

To help provide treatment for even more Hoosiers who desperately need care, please help support our annual raffle, our only fundraiser. Individual raffle tickets are $100 and you may purchase three tickets for $250.

Please look for your blue raffle tickets in the mail and join us by purchasing today. The drawing will take place on January 15, 2021. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

The 2021 Indiana General Assembly is due to begin in just over a month, and IDA's Legislative Alerts will keep you informed about the latest bills and hearings that affect dentistry in Indiana. If you are not already on the Engage Alerts list, sign up using the link below.

Do you have individuals in mind who have done an outstanding job promoting, practicing or volunteering for the field of dentistry? Nominate them for an IDA Award! These awards are presented during the IDA Midwest Dental Assembly and honor dentists, volunteers and dental professionals for their hard work and dedication.

All nominations for IDA Awards are due by March 1, 2021. Click the link below to visit our awards page and nomination form.