|
ASDA Signs on to Coalition Letters
DOC Access Act
ASDA recently joined several organizations within organized dentistry on a coalition letter supporting the bipartisan Dental and Optometric (DOC) Access Act, H.R. 1521—the bill, sponsored by Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09) would limit insurers' ability to dictate prices for services not covered by their insurance plans, making insurer-provider contracting more fair. While 43 states have enacted laws with similar provisions, many medical insurance plans are regulated at the federal level, necessitating congressional action. Read the letter of support here.
REDI Act
ASDA also signed a coalition letter advocating for the passage of the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act. In alignment with ASDA’s F-4 Student Debt policy, the REDI Act would allow students to defer interest and payments on federal student loans for the duration of their residency programs. The bill aims to encourage medical and dental professionals to practice in rural areas by lessening the financial burden of higher education.
The DOC Access Act and REDI Act were legislative priorities at the 2025 ADA Dentist & Student Lobby Day.
Chief Dental Officer Position within CMS
27 healthcare organizations, including ASDA, sent a letter to government officials leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, urging them to retain the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) position within the Administrator’s Office. Public oral health programs are essential to maintaining overall public health standards. The Chief Dental Officer is vital in maintaining a public healthcare system “that values efficiency, prevention, and cost-savings.” Read the letter here.
| | |
2025-26 Advocacy Certificate Program has Launched!
The 2025-26 Advocacy Certificate Program is open! Designed to help you become a lifelong advocate, the program allows ASDA members to earn points for participating in advocacy initiatives throughout the year. Learn how to earn and record points here.
| | |
Lobby Day Recap
Over 500 dental students attended the ADA Dentist & Student Lobby Day earlier this month to advocate for the future of dentistry in Washington, DC. This year’s lobbying efforts focused on the Dental and Optometric Care (DOC) Access Act, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, and funding for research on water fluoridation.
| |
Connecticut Hosts Advocacy Week Programming
Connecticut’s ASDA chapter hosted an Advocacy Week, featuring social media contests, a Molar Bear scavenger hunt, a lunch and learn, and a trivia night focused on legislation affecting dentistry. Members from all classes participated in advocacy education programming throughout the week, earning prizes and enjoying free food along the way!
| | | The event was supported by ASDA’s Legislative Grassroots Network event grant, awarded annually. More information about next year’s LGN event grant cycle will be available in Fall 2025. | | | |
Appropriations Bill Signed into Law
President Trump has signed H.R. 1968, the appropriations bill that passed through the bicameral legislature last month. The act outlines federal funding through the end of September 2025 and includes cuts to public funding and higher education programs.
Specifically, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was cut $280 million for staff to attend conferences, privacy protections, funding opportunities for young researchers, and the inclusion of diverse populations in clinical trials.
$890.8 million was cut from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) broadly. HRSA has been a key federal agency in providing free and low-cost healthcare services to communities across the U.S. It also houses loan repayment programs for dental students committed to working in rural and underserved communities.
| | |
CDC's Division of Oral Health is Eliminated
The Trump administration’s restructuring of the Department for Health and Human Services has resulted in the termination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Oral Health. This office has provided critical leadership and expertise in public health policymaking.
In a public statement last week, ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler urged the administration to reverse the decision, saying, “I see in my patients, when the mouth is ignored, the body suffers, inflammation increases and compromised people get sicker, and our collective quality of life plummets.”
ASDA will continue to monitor federal restructuring as it affects public oral health policies.
| | |
Trump Administration to Close the Department of Education
On March 20, President Trump signed an executive order to take steps to effectively close the Department of Education, facilitated by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. Reappropriating funds for several educational programs is subject to congressional approval.
The executive order claims to send education-related policies to state governments. It also asserted that programs supporting diversity, equity, or inclusion are not eligible to receive funding from the Department of Education.
The Trump administration has stated that all federal student loans will be housed under the Small Business Administration. Last month, the SBA also announced that 43% of its staff would be laid off.
In March, information about income-based repayment plans was removed from the Department of Education’s website. Program participants also reported issues with accessing forms to report their income as part of the program. The Trump administration has since reported this was due to a temporary injunction and that the forms will be reinstated online soon.
ASDA will continue to monitor student loan policies and programs from the U.S. Department of Education and other executive agencies.
| | |
ADA Signs Letter Opposing Cuts to Medicaid
The ADA has signed onto a letter to congressional leadership to preserve Medicaid for the nearly 80 million Americans who rely on the program for healthcare insurance. As Congress and the Trump administration continue to make drastic cuts to federal government programs, the ADA, along with the more than 70 signatories on the letter, suggest cutting Medicaid dental benefits would lead to disastrous consequences for overall public health and disproportionately affect rural communities. The letter states that dental benefits are especially at risk of being cut from Medicaid since they are considered “optional” for states to cover for adults. Read more from the ADA.
ASDA’s H-2 policy supports Medicaid expansion as one of several evidence-based solutions to addressing barriers to oral healthcare.
| | |
DDH Compact Updates
Arizona and Arkansas have made significant strides towards adopting policy to join the Dental and Dental Hygienists (DDH) Compact. On April 7, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed legislation to make Arkansas the 11th state to join the DDH Compact. In Arizona, the state House passed a similar bill, now up for consideration in the Senate, to join the Compact.
11 states have now joined the DDH Compact, currently in its implementation phase. Another 15 states, including Arizona, have active legislation to ensure dental licensure portability through the Compact. Learn more about the DDH Compact here.
| | |
Arizona
In early March, the Arizona Senate voted to expand dental benefits under the state’s Medicaid program. Adult Arizona Medicaid recipients currently only have coverage for emergency dental services.
The bill, which has been passed to Arizona House committees, lists maximum coverage for dental benefits as $1,000 annually and includes preventative dental care. It also removes dentures from the list of excluded prosthetic devices for Medicaid coverage.
| | |
Kentucky
The Kentucky legislature recently adopted a law reforming the state’s Medicaid program. The law establishes an oversight board for Medicaid to promote accountability and transparency.
It also states that Medicaid recipients who are “physically and mentally able to work as determined by the cabinet,” between the ages of 18 to 60, and not caretakers for persons under the age of 18 or disabled adult relatives be required to work or participate in a “community engagement program” for at least 20 hours per week.
Democratic Governor Andy Beshear vetoed the bill. On March 27, the Kentucky legislature voted to override the governor's veto. The law went into effect immediately upon its passage.
| | |
Indiana
Led by State Senator Ryan Mishler, the Indiana Senate passed SB 2, which could significantly reform Medicaid programming—coined the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP)— in the Hooser state. The bill proposes removing the program's participant enrollment cap of 500,000, requiring the Family and Social Services Administration to implement quarterly eligibility reviews for individuals enrolled in HIP, and prohibiting any marketing of HIP enrollment or benefits. The Healthy Indiana Plan maintains its 20-hour work requirement with some exceptions.
SB 2 is being considered in the Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. It previously passed 8-4 in the House Public Health Committee.
| | | | |
