Ryan
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - Acting Pennsylvania Attorney General Bill Ryan announced on Friday that his office has reached an agreement with a former dental office to transfer its medical records to another dental office.
Allcare Dental & Dentures in Erie agreed to send the dental and laboratory records for all patients to Esser Family Dental by Saturday.
Allcare had business offices in Erie and operated dental practices in 13 additional states. AllCare closed all its locations at the beginning of January citing cash-flow problems. Customers were left without answers and thousands of complaints flooded the offices of state attorneys general around the country, Ryan said.
Under the agreement, Erie patients can access their records at Esser Family Dental or may re-transfer copies of their records to any other health care provider of their choice.
"The Health Care Section continues working to assist Allcare patients across Pennsylvania and throughout the country who have filed hundreds of complaints since the dental chain suddenly closed its doors at the beginning of January," Ryan said. "Our investigation into the sudden closure is ongoing, as are our efforts to gain access to consumers' personal medical records."
The agreement requires that all records remain confidential.
Furthermore, the agreement gives Esser Family Dental permission to take custody of all dental work in progress, including any dental prostheses that are located at the Erie Allcare office.
Allcare had business offices in Erie and New York state and operated dental practices in 13 additional states. Efforts for the distribution or transfer of records at other Allcare facilities is currently underway.