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FROM ASDA
ASDA supports bill to defer interest accrual on student loans
ASDA, along with 38 other organizations, signed onto a letter thanking leaders in the Senate for introducing the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act on February 16. Its companion bill in the House was introduced on June 24, 2021. If enacted, the REDI Act would allow medical and dental residents to defer payments on student loans, interest-free, during residency. Please send a letter urging your Congressperson to support this legislation today!
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Last chance to register for Lobby Day
Join ASDA and the ADA in lobbying for the REDI Act mentioned above, and more, at Lobby Day: March 20-22. We will meet in DC with dental student peers and dentists from across the country, hear from prominent speakers, and receive training on how to lobby your lawmakers. Review the five bills we will be discussing with members of Congress. The deadline to reserve your hotel is today, March 10. Final registration deadline is Monday, March 14.
If you can’t make it to Lobby Day but still want to get involved, act today by sending a letter to your Congressperson on some of the bills we’ll be discussing:
Send a letter: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
Send a letter: Student Loan Refinancing Act
Send a letter: Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act
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ASDA adopts new policies at Annual Session
Last month, hundreds of ASDA members gathered in Louisville, Kentucky to voice their opinions on the policy and governance that shapes the association. ASDA holds policies on various topics from Dental Education Financing to Health Care Delivery, and many in between. These policies enable ASDA to advocate for change on the local, state, and federal level. Notably, ASDA’s House adopted two new policies: the H-12 policy on Eldercare, and the H-13 policy on Vulnerable Populations.
For a full list of resolutions discussed at the 2022 Annual Session, click here.
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LECOM ASDA celebrates National Children’s Dental Health Month
Members of LECOM ASDA celebrated National Children’s Dental Health Month with the students at Myakka City Elementary school. ASDA members provided oral health and hygiene education, along with hygiene bags for 300 kindergarten through fifth-grade students. Students learned about the importance of brushing and flossing, and they participated in interactive activities.
Why is this important? ASDA’s B-11 Oral Health Literacy policy supports efforts to improve oral health literacy, particularly those related to prevention and public health.
Do you have an advocacy event you want featured in Advocacy Brief? Email advocacydept@ASDAnet.org.
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Indiana bill would prohibit plans from setting fees for non-covered services
On February 22, the Indiana House passed a bill that prohibits dental plans from setting rates for services not covered by the plan. Next, it will be sent to the state Senate for consideration.
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Dental licensure bills move forward in multiple states
Recently, states have taken steps towards approving bills that would make significant changes to licensure laws.
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Florida: SB 926 would require candidates for initial dental licensure to demonstrate clinical skills on a manikin rather than a live patient. Specifically, dentists would be required to perform restorations and demonstrate periodontal skills on a manikin that has typodont teeth. Teeth used for restorations would simulate caries, while those used for periodontal skills would simulate calculus. This bill has passed the Senate and an identical companion bill is moving through the House. | | |
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Virginia: SB 590 would allow the Virginia Board of Dentistry to grant a faculty license, without examination, to graduates of foreign-trained dental schools. The applicant is required to have a certification letter from an accredited dental program confirming they possess the required clinical competency and experience. The bill passed the state Senate and will be considered by the Virginia House of Delegates next. Provisions of the bill will expire on July 1, 2025. | | |
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New Mexico: On March 3, the governor signed HB 191 into law. This law expands portability for various professions, including dentistry. The state dental board is now required to issue an expedited license, without examination, to a dentist or dental hygienist licensed in another licensing jurisdiction if the applicant holds a license that is current and in good standing. The board is required to determine which jurisdictions and foreign countries from which it will not accept applicants for expedited licensure. A list of these approved, or unapproved, jurisdictions must be posted on the Board’s website. Similar laws have recently been signed or implemented in Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma. | | | | |
