Some dentists in Jacksonville, Fla., are including a COVID-19 surcharge on patient bills, according to Action News Jax.
One of those dentists is Staci Suggs, DDS, a pediatric dentist in Jacksonville, who is charging a $10 fee for every appointment, citing her practice's financial losses and limited amount of personal protective equipment as reasons for the charge.
"Trying to reopen a practice with limited amounts of PPE available is quite difficult at this time. To absorb the losses of our office being closed for seven weeks, I have first and foremost taken a personal pay cut, laid off several of my staff and have made adjustments in pricing," Dr. Suggs told local CBS affiliate WJAX-TV.
The American Dental Association has urged third-party payers to modify their fees to adjust to the increasing cost of PPE that dentists need to safely reopen their practices.
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