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American Dental Education Association
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Volume 1, No. 26, August 6, 2019
Judge Strikes Down New Hampshire Medicaid Work Requirement
On July 29, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg struck down [ [link removed] ] work requirements for New Hampshire’s Medicaid program that had been approved by the Trump Administration. Judge Boasberg ruled that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hadn’t accounted for individuals who would lose coverage as a result of the new requirements, echoing his previous rulings in cases regarding Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky and Arkansas [ [link removed] ] .
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) had already pushed back the initial start date for the new program from June 1 to September after almost 17,000 recipients [ [link removed] ] were found to be out of compliance. The new start date would have allowed time for a coordinated effort of mailings, calls, and door knocking to inform Medicaid beneficiaries of the new rules—efforts that are now unnecessary in the wake of the ruling.
The Trump Administration has argued in favor of the work requirements, citing a desire to reserve Medicaid services for children, disabled Americans, expecting mothers and the very poor.
Congress Clears Two-Year Budget Plan
This week, both Houses of the U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 (H.R. 3877) [ [link removed] ] , clearing the measure for President Trump, who has said he will sign it and made phone calls to reluctant Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in support of the measure. The legislation passed by nearly veto-proof margins: in the House the vote was 284-149, and in the Senate the vote was 67-28.
The bill finalizes the overall funding levels for appropriations legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2020 so that when Congress returns from its August recess, the two Houses can complete work on the 12 funding bills. It is unlikely that all of those negotiations will be completed before the end of FY19 on Sept. 30, which will require a short-term continuing resolution until all of the bills have been completed.
Connecticut Eliminates Live Patient Exams and Makes Significant Changes to Licensure Laws
In July, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed legislation, H.B. 7303 [ [link removed] ] , which made significant changes to the state’s requirements for initial licensure, portability, continuing education and scope of practice for dental hygienists under supervision. The bill:
• Eliminates examinations involving human patients by July 1, 2021, or upon the Connecticut State Dental Commission’s approval of exams that do not require the participation of patients.
• Establishes a one-year clinical residency as a standard requirement for licensure as a dentist. The State Dental Commission may, with the consent of the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, accept the results of clinical or practical examinations, in lieu of the clinically based postdoctoral general residency.
• Reduces the amount of a time a practicing dentist is required to practice from five years to one year before being eligible for licensure by credentials. (Current law allows, but does not require, the Connecticut Department of Public Health to issue a license by credentials to individuals who hold a license from another jurisdiction.)
• Allows dentists and dental hygienists to substitute eight hours of volunteer practice at temporary dental clinics for one hour of continuing education, up to 10 hours in a 24-month period.
• Allows dental hygienists to take alginate impressions of teeth, under the indirect supervision of a dentist, for use in study models, orthodontic appliances, whitening trays, mouth guards and fabrication of temporary crowns.
• Clarifies that state law does not prohibit a dental hygiene student from performing dental hygiene work as a component of coursework, provided such work is performed under the direct supervision of a dentist and other conditions are met.
• Allows dentists to administer the finger-stick procedure to measure a patient’s HbA1c percentage.
• Calls for the convening of a working group to make recommendations regarding the scope of practice, educational and training requirements for dental therapists. The working group is required to report it recommendations to the Connecticut General Assembly by Jan. 1, 2020.
CMS Rejects Enhanced Funding for Partial Medicaid Expansion in Utah
On July 26, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rejected Utah [ [link removed] ] officials’ request for enhanced federal funding for the state to implement partial Medicaid expansion. Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government provides 90% of funding for Medicaid expansion populations in states that choose to extend Medicaid coverage to individuals earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Some states, like Utah and Georgia [ [link removed] ] , have proposed to only expand Medicaid to adults earning up to 100% of the federal poverty level. In order to receive enhanced funding, states would have to receive approval from CMS through a waiver.
The rejection does not appear as though it will be specific to Utah, and it may become CMS policy to reject enhanced funding for all partial expansion plans. In an announcement [ [link removed] ] released on July 29, CMS stated that providing enhanced funding for partial expansion plans “would invite continued reliance on a broken and unsustainable Obamacare system.”
REMINIDER: The ADEA Advocate will not publish for the next two weeks because of the congressional August recess. The next regular weekly ADEA Advocate will be published on Aug. 20. If there is breaking news or events, we will inform you as warranted.
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The ADEA Advocate [ [link removed] ] is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.
©2019
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
202-289-7201, adea.org [ [link removed] ]
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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Senior Manager for Advocacy and Government Relations
Ambika R. Srivastava, M.P.H.
ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Jack Bresch Legislative Intern
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