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Open Wide and Say “Infection Control Fee”
The good news is dental offices continue opening up during the pandemic and many patients are starting to book appointments for much-needed cleanings and surgeries. The bad news is many are also being informed of something called an “infection control fee.” Hey, somebody’s got to cover the costs of the personal protective equipment that dental staff now needs to protect themselves and their patients from COVID-19. That includes masks, face shields, gowns, and even air purifying systems. While most places are seeing that fee ranging between $10 and $20, some patients have reported being charged up to $150 for a virus-linked fee for dental surgery. The American Dental Association spokesperson says it’s OK as long as they disclose it to patients before they come in. Dentists say they don’t have much of a choice, because they’ve already lost months’ worth of money due to the shutdown, and because prices have risen significantly on PPE due to demand from other types of health care workers. A rep for an Austin-area dental chain says while a box of 20 masks used to cost $6, that’s now the cost of one mask; the Philadelphia Inquirer and CBS Boston note similar steep price hikes. Some insurers are offering to pick up the fees, but others are on the fence.?(Newser) 

 

Snapchat Makes Move Against Trump’s Account
Another social media giant has decided to take action against President Trump. Snapchat says while they won’t ban any of the president’s content, or add fake news warnings like Twitter has done, it will stop promoting his account on the app and will no longer include the president’s account on its heavily curated Discover home page, which features content from high-profile users. Snap Inc. said it was Trump’s tweets on the George Floyd protests that led to the decision. Spokesman Rachel Recusen said, “We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover.” Snapchat says Trump’s content will remain accessible to those who search for it. Meanwhile,?Reuters?notes that Trump’s Snapchat account “consists mostly of campaign content and does not contain the informal rhetoric” he uses on Twitter. In a company-wide memo, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel denounced racism and called for an US “Commission on Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations.” He added, “As for Snapchat, we simply cannot promote accounts in America that are linked to people who incite racial violence, whether they do so on or off our platform.”?(New York Times)