Patient Abandonment

PURPOSE: This rule defines the duty of a dentist to active patients when s/he moves his/her practice to a location inconvenient to his/ her active patients. (1) Any duly registered and currently licensed dentist in Missouri who moves his/her practice to a location which is in convenient to his/her active patients or who ceases to practice dentistry or who shares a fee in any patient whose treating dentist moves to an inconvenient location or ceases to practice dentistry, upon request of that patient, or the person responsi ble for payment for that patient, shall refund an appropriate portion of the fee received for an unfinished treatment or make arrangements for the treatment to be completed by a dentist acceptable to the patient for no additional fee. Active patients are those who have received care and/or treatment within the previous twelve (12) months. (2) Upon the relocation or cessation of practice described in section (1) of this rule, the treating dentist, within thirty (30) days, shall notify in writing all his/her active patients with unfinished services or treatments of their rights under section (1) of this rule. Dentists who share in the fee of any patient af fected by this rule also shall notify the patient of his/her rights. AND INSURANCE This notification may be made together with the treating den tist in one (1) notice. (3) Failure to comply with the provisions of this rule will subject the holder of a certificate of registration and license to practice dentistry in this state to disciplinary action in accordance with section 332.321.2(5), (6) and (13), RSMo. (4) The provisions of this rule are declared severable. If any provision of this rule is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions of this rule shall remain in full force and effect, unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid. AUTHORITY: section 332.031, RSMo 2000.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 110-2.114. Original rule filed April 16, 1985, effective Aug. 26, 1985. Moved to 20 CSR 2110-2.114, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Aug. 11, 2006, effective Feb. 28, 2007. *Original authority: 332.031, RSMo 1969, amended 1981, 1993, 1995.