From ASDA

Introducing: Sixty Seconds to Advocacy!

Got a minute? Join ASDA's newest advocacy initiative: Sixty Seconds to Advocacy!

Advocating for your interests as a dental student doesn't need to be time-consuming or difficult. Sometimes, it takes less than a minute. Each month, Sixty Seconds to Advocacy (SSA) will share a quick and easy way to get involved.

August's activity: sign up for ASDA Action text alerts.

Learn more about ASDA Action here.

Advocacy Brief Challenge

Ready to stretch your advocacy brain? The first 5 people to send a complete and correct crossword puzzle will receive an Amazon gift card! Send your puzzle to advocacydept@asdanet.org.

ASDA signs onto 3 more coalition letters

On July 3, ASDA along with 9 other organizations, sent comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about two proposed rules to improve provider payment rate transparency, establish payment parity between Medicaid and CHIP, and improve access to dental care, among others.

On July 18, ASDA along with 13 other organizations, sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce urging support for the reauthorization of the Action for Dental Health Act. This bill extends HRSA’s oral health workforce grant program until 2028. This program funds many important initiatives supporting oral health education and workforce, reducing emergency department visits, and more. The program will expire at the end of this fiscal year (Sept. 30) if no action is taken.

On July 19, ASDA along with 9 other organizations, sent a letter to the Health Insurance & Long-Term Care Issues Committee urging them to further consider the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) for Dental Health Care Services Plans Model Act. ASDA sent a similar letter in March 2023. MLRs, which require insurance companies to spend a certain percentage of premium dollars on patient care, have been a hot topic of discussion since Massachusetts voted overwhelmingly in favor of the ballot initiative as reported in the November 2022 issue of Advocacy Brief.

Why does it matter? Coalition letters are sent to legislators or other stakeholders to voice the collective interests of those who sign on. They demonstrate the power of organized dentistry. Check out past bills that ASDA has supported and coalition letters ASDA has signed onto in our new Legislation and Letter Archive!

UConn students volunteer with Special Smiles

In June, students from the UConn School of Dental Medicine continued the decades-long partnership of volunteering with Special Smiles, part of the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program. Students and faculty screened 36 athletes at the cycling competition during the Special Olympics Connecticut Summer Games.

Barbara Shehata, a rising fourth-year student and president of the Special Care Dentistry Interest Group shared,

“I've participated in the Special Smiles program for the past 3 years. This experience taught me so much about the importance of trust and consistency when treating the special needs population. Each interaction is so impactful in tackling the barriers that prevent people with special needs from getting the healthcare that they deserve. Participating in Special Olympics Healthy Athletes events creates a space for cultivating trust in dental providers.”

Photo credit: UConn School of Dental Medicine

From Washington

Student loan interest accrual to resume September 1

After a three-year pause, millions of borrowers will see interest begin accruing on their student loans come September 1, 2023. Required payments will resume in October. Borrowers resuming payments is anticipated to be a big change, as reports indicate that less than 1% of qualifying borrowers continued to make payments on their debt during the pause.

Have questions about student loans and debt management? Join us on Thursday, August 24 at 7 PM CST for a webinar focused on exploring interest rates, repayment, and refinancing.

House of Representative committee discusses health-related bills

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Full Committee recently marked up 15 health-related bills. Two bills were of interest to the dental community and will now move to the House floor for a report.

The Action for Dental Health Act of 2023 (H.R. 3843) would extend dental health workforce programs under the Health Resources and Services Administration until 2028. It passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously by a vote of 50-0. As described above, ASDA sent a coalition letter in support of this bill on July 18.

Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 3887) would reauthorize payments to Children’s Hospitals that operate Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs through 2028. However, the bill prohibits funding from going to programs that offer “gender affirming care” to minors, including surgeries, hormone therapy and puberty blockers. Those hospitals would not receive federal funding for their GME slots, which could adversely impact pediatric dental residencies. This bill passed out of committee by a vote of 27 to 17.

CMS pauses Medicaid coverage termination in some states

As reported in the July issue of Advocacy Brief, states were prohibited from disenrolling Medicaid participants from the program during the pandemic. This ended in April 2023 when states were required to resume evaluating eligibility.

New data shows that over 3.7 million people lost their Medicaid coverage during this redetermination process in 37 states and DC, and that about 73% were dropped due to procedural reasons such as incomplete paperwork or outdated contact information. High procedural disenrollments are concerning because many of those disenrolled may still be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Because of this, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has now required several states to stop procedural disenrollments and correct errors of those who were dropped without due process.

CMS has also sent letters to employers, plan sponsors, and insurers encouraging them to voluntarily extend their plans’ health insurance coverage enrollment period through July 31, 2024. This gives employees who are losing Medicaid coverage ample time to enroll in their group health insurance plans.

Why does it matter? Medicaid is the single largest source of health coverage in the US. Some states’ Medicaid coverage includes dental benefits for adults, while most don’t. Action is needed at the federal level to ensure that adults in all states on Medicaid have access to comprehensive dental benefits. To achieve this, ASDA supports H.R. 1342/S. 570, the Medicaid Dental Benefit Act of 2023.

From the States

Medical loss ratio bill signed into law in Nevada

On June 1, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a new medical loss ratio bill into law that reaffirms a requirement established in 1983 that dental insurers in that state spend at least 75% of premium revenue on dental care. As discussed in the From ASDA section above, medical loss ratio discussions are trending around the country, with bills introduced in 12 states. Nevada dentists point to the success in Massachusetts as driving the success in Nevada as well.

Oregon governor signs bill to study dental assistant workforce shortage

On July 27, Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed a bill that requires the Oregon Board of Dentistry to convene an Advisory Committee to study the dental assistant workforce shortage, and to review the requirements for dental assistant certification in other states. The majority of the Committee members are required to have experience as dental assistants, and the Committee is required to provide advice to the Board on a quarterly basis.

Why does it matter? Workforce shortages continue to be a major concern. As reported in the July issue of Advocacy Brief, ASDA, along with 20 other organizations sent a letter to Congress urging they take action.

Delaware law allows free kindergarten dental exams

On June 15, the Delaware Senate passed a bill that will provide free dental screenings for kindergarten students in the state. It already passed the House as well on May 9. The Bureau of Oral Health and Dental Services' Smile Check Program will provide the free screenings aimed to ensure that students can get the care they need and families have a dental home.

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