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Advocacy Brief Challenge
Many dental residencies have just begun. ASDA supports the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act because it provides some debt relief for residents. Who was the primary sponsor of this bill, H.R. 1202, when it was introduced to Congress on Feb. 27, 2023?
The first 5 people to email advocacydept@ASDAnet.org with the correct answer will win.
Did you get the head’s up about this challenge? Make sure you are signed up for text alerts to stay updated on ASDA’s advocacy initiatives, challenges and more.
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California students meet with lawmaker
For the first time since 2019, students from all 7 California dental schools met with Assembly member Jim Wood, DDS, at the state Capitol as part of the California Dental Association’s Grassroots Advocacy Days. Students discussed Dr. Wood’s journey from dentistry to politics and current legislative issues affecting dentists in the area such as budget changes affecting Medi-Cal and the growing need for dental assistants.
Michelle Chiang, a second-year student at UCLA shared she was a little nervous, but really enjoyed the day. Here’s what she had to say about the meeting:
“I was struck with the reality of what it means to be a professional in dentistry. Sitting down with our legislators and their staffers who would write down what I said, I was keenly aware of my position as an educator of our community and advocate for my patients. We shouldn't hesitate to reach out to these legislators or their staffers to voice our opinions on legislation. I recommend that dental students seriously take the time to realize that we will leave dental school as leaders and professionals.”
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ASDA thanks sponsors of DOC Access Act
On May 15, ASDA sent a letter to leaders in the House and Senate thanking them for introducing the Dental and Optometric Care (DOC) Access Act of 2023. This bill would prevent insurance companies
from determining fees in dental and vision plans for services that are not covered by those plans.
Currently, forty-five states have enacted laws that limit this sort of doctor-patient relationship interference. However, a federal effort is necessary because many dental plans are regulated at the federal, not state, level.
Why does it matter? ASDA has supported the DOC Access Act since 2019. We’ve lobbied this bill in Washington, D.C. as recently as March 2023 at ADA Dentist & Student Lobby Day. Students are pictured here outside U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski’s (D-IL) office.
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Resuming payments on student loans likely
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona confirmed recently that the current pause on federal student loan payments will expire later this year. At that time, roughly 44 million borrowers will be required to resume making payments on their federal student loans. The pause, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been in place for over three years and has been extended 8 times. The pause is tied to the Biden Administration’s one-time student loan forgiveness program that has been taken up by the Supreme Court. Payments are set to resume 60 days after the Supreme Court ruling, or 60 days after June 30 – whichever comes first.
Why does it matter? Many borrowers are confused about how much they owe, when to pay, and how. ASDA encourages members to sign up for alerts from the U.S. Department of Education for the most up-to-date information. Read more on the StudentAid.gov website.
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Student loan interest rates set to increase
Effective July 1, interest rates on new federal student loans will increase from 6.54% to 7.05%. This is the highest interest rate for graduate borrowers since 2006. These new interest rates will take effect for loans issued for the upcoming 2023-24 school year and are fixed for the lifetime of the loan. This change affects only new loans, not existing loans.
For existing loans, as mentioned above, part of the Biden Administration’s pandemic-era freeze on payments also included a 0% interest rate. The Department of Education is preparing to resume charging interest and collecting payments per the timeframe above with the Supreme Court or June 30.
Why does it matter? ASDA has advocated for years to lower interest rates and provide relief for borrowers. Student debt is one of ASDA’s top priorities, and we will continue to advocate to reduce the burden of debt for dental students.
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HRSA launches new oral health literacy campaign
June is Oral Health Month, a reminder about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene. Earlier this year, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) launched a new campaign, A Healthy Mouth for Every Body, which highlights the importance of practicing good oral hygiene, visiting the dentists, and offers a variety of materials like social media content, posters, and radio announcements. HRSA works to provide equitable health care to the nation’s highest-need communities, including people with low income, those in rural communities, children, parents, and more.
Why does it matter? This initiative aligns with ASDA’s B-11 Oral Health Literacy policy. ASDA supports initiatives like the Healthy Mouth for Every Body campaign to educate the public about oral health.
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More states join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact
As reported in the May issue of Advocacy Brief, there is a new Dentist and Dental Hygienist (DDH) compact that will create reciprocity among participating states and reduce the barriers of licensure portability. The DDH compact provides many benefits to dentists and patients alike and is a big step forward in increasing professional mobility and improved access to care.
Since Iowa became the first state to join the compact on April 27, Washington and Tennessee have both enacted legislation to join the compact as well. This brings the total to 3 states where legislation has been enacted. Legislation is pending in 4 other states. The compact will be enacted once 7 states join. Check out which states have legislation pending and learn more about the compact here.
Want to learn more about dental licensure? Check out ASDA’s Licensure Reform webpages.
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Florida bill to create veterans dental program signed by governor
On May 26, the Florida governor signed a bill into law that will create the Veterans’ Dental Care Grant Program. This bill requires the state’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs to contract with a statewide direct support organization to distribute grants to eligible nonprofits that have experience providing dental care to veterans. Other states such as Oregon and Maine have set up similar initiatives for veterans in recent years.
Why does it matter? ASDA’s H-8 Veterans’ Care policy supports initiatives and legislation to improve and foster the oral health of all military veterans.
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West Virginia, Oklahoma discuss modifications to dental practice acts
Every state follows a specific set of statutes, regulations, and administrative rules that govern how each member of the dental team can practice. These regulations are called state Dental Practice Acts. The states below have made recent changes to their state’s dental practice act.
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In West Virginia, the governor recently signed a bill into law that would add new specialties to the state’s dental practice act. The state now recognizes dental anesthesiology, oral medicine and orofacial pain. Additionally, the bill updates several definitions, allowing dentists and hygienists with a local anesthesia certificate to do the following:
- Administer vaccines
- Perform FDA-authorized diagnostic tests to screen patients for infections diseases
- Triage medical patients
- Perform other ancillary medical procedures and activities as requested by medical personnel during a declared public health emergency
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In Oklahoma, the governor recently signed a bill into law bringing several significant changes to the state’s dental practice act, as follows:
- A person must have passed a written theoretical examination and a clinical examination within the last five years to qualify for a dental or dental hygiene license.
- Clarifies that dental hygienists may pass a manikin-based exam or a live patient exam for initial licensure.
- Adds four procedures to the list of expanded duty procedures that qualified dental hygienists may obtain a permit to perform, including neuromodulator administration, therapeutic use of lasers, phlebotomy and venipuncture and elder care and public health when performed as teledentistry in long-term care facilities.
- Clarifies that a dental hygienist holding an advanced procedure permit or credential in any other state for two years is eligible for the advanced procedure permit by credentials.
- Creates a definition for the term “dental hygiene” that reads “the science and practice of the promotion of oral health and prevention and treatment of oral disease through the provision of educational, therapeutic, clinical, and preventive services”.
- Adds two types of expanded duty permits available for qualified dental assistants or oral maxillofacial surgery assistants, including 1) phlebotomy and venipuncture and 2) elder care and public health as described in the bill.
- Authorizes the use of teledentistry in long-term care settings by a supervised dental hygienist and allows a dental assistant to assist a dental hygienist who meets certain requirements in the long-term care settings.
- Makes it unethical for a dentist to practice below the basic standard of care for a patient which an ordinary prudent dentist with similar training and experience within the local area would have provided, including, but not limited to, failing to complete proper training and demonstrate proficiency for any procedure delegated to a dental hygienist or dental assistant.
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