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American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 30, February 13, 2024

ED Provides Assistance With FAFSA Processing
 
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has unveiled a FAFSA College Support Strategy [ [link removed] ] , which includes a $50 million initiative and a “concierge service” to address the challenges faced by colleges in processing the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This comes more than a month after the delayed launch of FAFSA processing, which will now begin in March.
 
The three-pronged strategy aims to assist colleges in swiftly and accurately handling financial aid packages, specifically, to help colleges prepare and process financial aid forms. Financial aid experts and advisers will be deployed to under-resourced campuses, with a particular focus on minority-serving institutions, including historically Black and tribal colleges. These institutions, which have more Pell grant-eligible students and limited technical resources, have been disproportionately affected by the FAFSA delays.
 
ED will also distribute $50 million in grants to nonprofit groups that specialize in financial aid support and services. These groups will use the funds to recruit financial aid professionals to provide for under-resourced colleges additional technical assistance and support, beyond the federal teams deployed by ED. Additionally, ED is starting a new concierge service within the Office of Federal Student Aid, which will provide colleges with direct contact to financial aid experts to help to provide personalized support based on an institution’s needs. Finally, the Department also plans to send test versions of Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) to colleges this month, allowing them to prepare their systems for the new forms.
 
Though ED has introduced this new strategy, concerns persist among college administrators about the adequacy of these measures in addressing the broader issues stemming from the delayed FAFSA implementation.

Bills in Several States Could Make Changes for Allied Oral Health Professionals
 
Legislation is moving in several states that will have an impact on allied oral health professionals.
 
In Arizona, the House of Representatives has passed a pair of bills that will alter procedure-specific training requirements for dental hygienists and dental assistants in the state. Both bills, which are below, will be sent to the state’s Senate for consideration:
 • AZ HB2072 [ [link removed] ] allows a dental hygienist to administer local anesthetics under the direct supervision of a dentist if the hygienist completes an examination in local anesthetics given by any state or regional testing agency in the United States, rather than by the Western Regional Examining Board. Additionally, the bill reduces the amount of time a dentist, dental hygienist, dental therapist and denturist has to submit a completed renewal application to reinstate their expired license or certificate from two years to one year.
 • AZ HB2639 [ [link removed] ] provides dental assistants with new options to meet training requirements to qualify to expose radiographs for dental diagnostic purposes or polish the natural and restored surfaces of the teeth. Under current law, a dental assistant must pass an examination provided by the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners (Board) before being permitted to perform either procedure. If the bill passes, a dental assistant can also meet training requirements by completing a course that teaches the procedures if it is Board recognized and qualifies as continuing dental education.

In South Dakota [ [link removed] ] , Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed a bill that alters eligibility for dental hygienists to practice under the collaborative supervision of a dentist. Specifically, the bill removes a requirement for dental hygienists to have been actively engaged in the practice of clinical dental hygiene in two of the previous three years in order to provide preventive and therapeutic services under the collaborative supervision of a dentist.
 
In Virginia [ [link removed] ] , legislation passed the House of Delegates that will extend from 90 days to 180 days the period during which a dental hygienist practicing under remote supervision may continue to treat a patient before the supervising dentist is required to conduct an examination or the dental hygienist refer the patient to another dentist. This bill will be sent to the state’s Senate for consideration.
 
A bill in West Virginia [ [link removed] ] passed the Senate that will allow dental hygienists to provide tobacco cessation education to patients to improve overall dental health. This bill will be sent to the state’s House for consideration.
 
West Virginia House Passes Bill to Remove Dentures From Medicaid Spending Cap
 
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill [ [link removed] ] that, if enacted, will exempt the purchase of dentures from the state’s $1,000 yearly limit on coverage for adult patients enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program. The legislation passed by a nearly unanimous vote. Six members were not present, and no members voted against the measure. The bill will now be sent to the state’s Senate for consideration.
 
Florida Sues Biden Administration Over Requirement to Keep Kids Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
 
On Feb. 1, the state of Florida filed a lawsuit [ [link removed] ] against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), challenging a requirement for states [ [link removed] ] to keep children continuously enrolled in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) for 12 months. Florida requires some of the families of children enrolled in the state’s CHIP program to pay monthly premiums [ [link removed] ] that range from $15 to $20 per month, and would like to have the ability to remove children from coverage for failure to pay the premiums. The state’s lawsuit claims CMS’s guidance misconstrues the law by “equating eligibility for CHIP benefits with enrollment in a CHIP plan and subsequent insurance coverage.”

2024 ADEA/AADOCR/Friends of NIDCR Advocacy Day
 
On Thursday, April 11, ADEA, the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) will join forces for our 2024 Advocacy Day!
 
This event will be held in person on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Participants will receive a legislative briefing and advocacy training on Wednesday, April 10, that will feature speakers from Congress, the Health Resources and Services Administration and NIDCR. The following day, April 11, will be dedicated to group meetings on Capitol Hill with targeted congressional offices, including participants’ own elected officials.
 
The deadline to register [ [link removed] ] for the 2024 Advocacy Day is Feb. 23. See you there!

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ADEA Advocacy in Action
This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.
 
Issues and Resources
 • ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day, Apr. 7-9, 2024. Register here [ [link removed] ] .
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [link removed] ]

Key State Issues [ [link removed] ]

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.
 
©2023
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-289-7201
Website: www.adea.org [ [link removed] ]

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Senior Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Contact Us:
[email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] ]

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