Diese Seite in Deutsch lesen 🇩🇪

Obligations of the KZV

Ensuring Dental Care in the State of Saxony-Anhalt

The KZV is responsible for ensuring the availability of adequate dental care to the population of the state pursuant to § 72 of the Fifth Book of the Social Code (SGB V). In doing so, it enables patients with statutory health insurance to access dental care related services.

Representation

The KZV fulfills the role of representing the professional and political interests of about 1,400 contract dentists in Saxony-Anhalt vis-à-vis the public, the state supervisory authority, the statutory health insurance funds and other stakeholders in the healthcare system.

Advisory Services and Point of Contact for Dentists and Policymakers

The KZV Sachsen-Anhalt advises the dental profession on all matters relating to contract dental practice. This ranges from issues of billing to those of admission. Government bodies and political committees are involved as partners in questions concerning contract dental health policy and the provision of care. This includes, for example, statements on draft legislation, proposals and measures to improve healthcare services, and the development of political objectives.

Administration

The KZV Sachsen-Anhalt fulfills its functions and responsibilities by way of a professional administrative structure. This includes implementing its statutory duty to ensure care, as well as enabling Executive Board and the Representative Assembly. Its goal is to make administrative processes as unbureaucratic, efficient, and economical as possible for its members.

Billing and Auditing

At the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt the billing data for dental services provided by contract dentists are collected and transmitted electronically to the billing offices of the statutory health insurance funds. These contract dental billings are reviewed for factual and mathematical accuracy and compliance with the professional obligations of contract dentists is monitored. When necessary, corrections may be made. Thus compliance with legal and contractual regulations is ensured vis-à-vis the state.

Contract and Fee Negotiations

Through the conclusion of contracts the remuneration to be paid by the statutory health insurance funds and the distribution of fees are determined. These remuneration agreements are negotiated regularly with representatives of the statutory health insurance funds.

Telematics

Since the entry into force of the Act on Secure Digital Communication and Applications in the Healthcare Sector (the so-called E-Health Act) on December 29, 2015, the KZV LSA has, in fulfilling its statutory and national contractual obligations, played a supportive, facilitative, and supervisory role in introducing the telematics infrastructure (TI) for cross-sector networking into the healthcare system. The statutory mandate for introducing, operating, and further developing the telematics infrastructure lies with gematik GmbH.

Quality Assurance and Quality Management

Since 2011, § 135a SGB V (Obligation for Quality Assurance) has legally required every contract dental practice to maintain an internal quality management (QM) system that meets the standards of the QM Directive of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) of November 17, 2006. The existence of such a QM system is monitored by the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt. Each year, two percent of all contract dental practices are randomly audited for compliance.

Second Opinion Consultation in Prosthetics

As a patient service the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt, in cooperation with the Consumer Advice Center of Saxony-Anhalt, offers a second opinion consultation for prosthetic care.

Pulic Relations

Together with the Dental Chambers of the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony, the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt publishes the patient magazine *ZahnRat*. The magazine provides information on dental treatments and topics relating to oral and dental health. It has a circulation of 57,000 copies and is distributed via dental practices in the participating states.

In cooperation with the Dental Chamber of Saxony-Anhalt, the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt also publishes the monthly bulletin *Zahnärztliche Nachrichten* (*zn*). It reports on the work of the self-governing professional bodies and on health policy developments and activities within the regional dental associations. The journal provides information about continuing education events organized by the Dental Chamber and the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt and aims to promote the exchange of opinions and experiences among dentists in the state. Continuing education articles are published regularly. All members of the Dental Chamber and the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt receive this bulletin.

Circulars

The circulars are the official information medium of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists. They contain important updates and regulations, including on the following topics:

  • Billing of contract dental services
  • Legal issues relevant to contract dental practice
  • Seminar dates of the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt
  • Changes concerning health insurance funds
  • Notes on PVS and billing modules
  • Updates to the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt handbook

Emergency Dental Service

Pursuant to § 75 (1) sentence 2 SGB V, the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt is responsible for ensuring a comprehensive emergency dental service outside regular consultation hours. To fulfill this statutory obligation, a public-law agreement has been concluded between the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt and the Dental Chamber of Saxony-Anhalt, transferring the organization of emergency services in the contract dental sector to the Dental Chamber. To carry out these tasks, the Chamber utilizes, among others, its regional branches. Both the KZV Sachsen-Anhalt and the Dental Chamber of Saxony-Anhalt are therefore jointly responsible for ensuring emergency dental care.

Qualification and Ongoing Education

The KZV Sachsen-Anhalt is also obligated to promote and monitor the ongoing education duties of contract dentists. It ensures that contract dentists pursue ongoing education to maintain and develop the professional knowledge required for practicing as a contract dentist. According to statutory requirements, every contract dentist must, every five years, provide evidence to the responsible Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists that they have fulfilled their continuing education obligation during the preceding five-year period.