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American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 40, April 30, 2024

PRO-HEAL Act Aims to Increase Oral Health Workforce
 
The Providing Resources and Opportunities for Health Education and Learning (PRO-HEAL) Act [ [link removed] ] was introduced last month by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The bill has one Democratic Senator as a co-sponsor. The bill was referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
 
The PRO-HEAL Act would authorize new, five-year Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant awards to enable states and institutions of higher education to expand or create health care provider pathway programs. It would also authorize $215 million to fund the program over a five-year period.
 
Entities eligible to apply for the program are states and institutions that expand or create health care provider pipeline programs designed to increase the number of one or more of the following health care professional groups:
 • Medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine,
 • Physician assistants;
 • Nurse practitioners;
 • Nurses;
 • Emergency medical technicians;
 • Dentists; and/or
 • Behavioral health providers.

There is a provision in the bill that allows HRSA to add to the list of health care professionals eligible for health care provider pipeline programs based on areas of need and shortages across the nation.
 
The grant program would also give funding priority to:
 • Programs designed to serve underserved or rural communities;
 • Programs designed to increase the number of health care professionals who are primary care providers; or
 • Eligible entities that intend to recruit the majority of individuals to participate in the health care provider pipeline program from within the same state as the eligible entity or in which the eligible entity is located.

If the program is funded beyond its five-year initial authorization period, funding priority will be given to previously funded programs.
 
ADEA AGR will continue to watch this bill as it moves through Congress.

Maine Becomes Seventh State to Join Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact; Compact Commission Can Now Form
 
On April 22, Maine [ [link removed] ] became the seventh state to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact [ [link removed] ] .
 
Now that seven states have joined the compact, participating states can take steps toward forming the Compact Commission which will oversee the compact and work toward implementation. Each participating state will have one commissioner selected by each state’s licensing authority.
 
Once implemented, the compact will create a pathway to licensure portability for dentists and dental hygienists who are licensed in member states. Licensees who live in a participating state can apply for a “compact privilege” that will allow them to practice in another participating state. Under the model compact [ [link removed] ] that was written by The Council for State Governments, license holders will be granted the opportunity to apply for compact privilege if they do the following:
 • Hold a license as a dentist or dental hygienist;
 • Graduate from a Commission on Dental Accreditation-accredited program;
 • Successfully complete a clinical assessment for licensure, with “clinical assessment” currently defined as an examination or process required for licensure as a dentist or dental hygienist, as applicable, that provides evidence of clinical competence in dentistry or dental hygiene;
 • Have passed a National Board Examination of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations or another examination accepted, by rule, as a requirement for licensure;
 • Meet any jurisprudence requirements;
 • Complete a criminal background check;
 • Submit an application and pay applicable fees; and
 • Comply with requirements to submit specified information for administrative purposes.

The compact has also been adopted by Iowa [ [link removed] ] , Kansas [ [link removed] ] , Tennessee [ [link removed] ] , Virginia [ [link removed] ] , Washington [ [link removed] ] and Wisconsin [ [link removed] ] . Legislation to adopt the compact is also active in eight other states [ [link removed] ] .

Georgia Governor Signs Bill to Include Dental Students in Rural Service Cancelable Loan Program
 
On April 19, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed legislation [ [link removed] ] that would make fourth-year dental students eligible for a program that provides cancelable loans to health care providers in exchange for providing services in one of the state's underserved rural areas. The program, administered by the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce (GBHCW), is currently open to practicing dentists and other specified health care providers. The bill directs GBHCW to give priority to dental students who wish to actively practice in specialties experiencing shortages or distribution problems in Georgia counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer.
 
Authorizing legislation [ [link removed] ] for the program permits GBHCW to determine maximum amounts for the loans and determine a region that constitutes a rural area. Under the Dentists for Rural Areas Assistance Program [ [link removed] ] that is currently in operation, dentists are eligible to receive up to $25,000 annually in exchange for providing services in underserved rural areas of Georgia with populations of 50,000 or fewer. Dentists can also earn a maximum of $100,000 over a four-year period.
 
For information about similar programs in other states, please refer to ADEA’s list of State and Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs [ [link removed] ] .

Nebraska Governor Signs Bill Declaring Intent of Legislature to Increase Dental Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
 
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed a bill [ [link removed] ] that declares the Nebraska Legislature’s intent to increase reimbursement rates for dental services provided to patients covered by Medicaid. Specifically, the bill declares the intent to reimburse rates by 12.5% for fiscal years 2024-2025. As introduced, the bill would have increased reimbursement rates by 25%, but an amendment reduced the rate to 12.5%. The amended version passed the unicameral legislature on a unanimous vote.

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
 • 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.
 
©2024
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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