The Texas House Committee on Public Health held hearings today on several bills before the legislation. HB 1480 - regulating DSO's was held this afternoon.
If you missed the live stream of this afternoon's session, you missed a fun time had by all. It was a carnival with something for everyone.
Someone representing Heatland Dental pulled a "Joe Wilson" when they yelled out "that's not true" when it was mention the Ontario Teacher Union now owned Heartland Dental. Heck, Heatland Dental issued press releases out the wazoo about the sale. Maybe the Heartland Dental stooge at the hearing was the one who was clueless.
Sadly if i had to pick a winner, I would say it were the well represented DSO's, which included some new poster children, including Dr. Jacob Dent. Not because of their evidence or testimony, but because it seemed the committee members had been sipping on some Kool Aid.
The most disappointing was hearing the committee Chair's about face on DSO's. It was a far cry from Rep. Lois Kolkhort in March of 2012. My, my, what a difference a year and millions of dollars in well placed lobbyist spending can make.
Last year she was irate at things she said her own research team discovered. Today those same issues were questioned by her and the committee as being overblown by those testifying.
There were glimmers of hope, when late in the day a young dentist testified that her DSO had quota's she was required to make. That's when I did see a tiny glimpse of the repulsed 2012 Rep Kolhorst.
Not sure where this late show of rage came from, since the committee had been told this at least 10 times since the lunch recess.
At 5:35 PM there was testimony about sound proof rooms - carpet on the walls- and dentists using papoose boards. Someone on the committee refused to believe any such things happen and stories about such are sensationalized! This member probably believes in the tooth fairy too!
Just a guess, but HB 1480 is dead and today was for the public to justify their pending
burial of the bill.
See video and audio at the House Website
See the video and audio at Texas House Website
