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American Dental Education Association

Volume 3, No. 47, June 20, 2024
U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Passes Health Care Bills

 

The U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee passed 13 health care bills last week. Four of the thirteen bills were of interest to the oral health community. , Leveraging Integrity and Verification of Eligibility for Beneficiaries Act or the LIVE Beneficiaries Act, requires states to review the Social Security Administration’s Death Master List on a quarterly basis to determine if any currently enrolled Medicaid recipients are now deceased. , Medicare, and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act of 2024, requires states, as part of the enrollment or the revalidation of enrollment, to check the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File to determine whether the providers are deceased. , Medicaid Program Improvement Act, requires individual providers and managed care entities to transmit to the state any address information or any changes to address information that occurs. , an amendment to title XIX of the Social Security Act meant to require additional provider screening under the Medicaid program, requires states to, check with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid on a quarterly basis to see if any current providers have been barred from program participation. All four bills passed unanimously on a bipartisan vote.

 

The bills now move to the House floor for a final vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

Federal Judge Allows SAVE Act Student Loan Repayment Case to Move Forward

 

A federal judge in Kansas issued a on a brought forth by 11 Republican-led states against the Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, a student loan forgiveness and repayment plan. Judge Daniel Crabtree, in Wichita, determined that only three states—South Carolina, Texas and Alaska—had provided enough evidence to establish legal standing to challenge the plan in court. These states demonstrated that the plan would likely decrease revenue for public entities involved in education funding and student loans within their jurisdictions.

 

However, Judge Crabtree dismissed the arguments eight other states, led by Kansas, brought forward stating that they lacked standing to challenge the Biden administration's SAVE Plan. He rejected claims that the plan would diminish their income tax revenues or impede their ability to recruit state employees.

 

The crux of the legal challenge from the Republican-led states lies in their assertion that the Education Department lacked the authority to establish the SAVE Plan, rendering its creation unlawful. These states argue that the plan's implementation would negatively impact their taxable income. They further contend that the accelerated debt forgiveness under the SAVE Plan would result in missed taxable income opportunities. However, Judge Crabtree dismissed this argument, attributing any incidental effects on taxable income to the plaintiffs' own tax policies.

 

This ruling presented a mixed outcome for the Biden administration, which faces both this case and another lawsuit by seven states led by Missouri, challenging the debt relief program.

 

The SAVE Plan, announced by President Biden in 2022, offers more generous terms than previous income-based repayment plans. The plan’s primary goal is to lower monthly payments for eligible borrowers.

 

Colorado Governor Signs Bills That Impact Oral Health Providers and Higher Education

 

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) recently signed several bills that will have an impact on oral health providers and higher education in the state.

 

allows a health care provider who possesses a credential issued by another U.S. jurisdiction to provide telehealth services to patients located in the state if the provider registers with the regulator that regulates the health care services the applicant will provide. To be eligible, a provider must hold an active and unencumbered credential that requires educational and supervisory standards equivalent to or exceeding the educational and supervisory standards in the state or the interstate compact license for the applicable credential type. Additionally, an applicant must not have been subject to any disciplinary action relating to their credential during the five-year period immediately preceding the submission of an application that has resulted in a credential being limited, suspended or revoked, unless the disciplinary action pertains to an action, behavior or treatment permitted under Colorado law.

 

creates an oral health screening pilot program that funds, through grants, further implementation of oral health screening in public schools. Under the program, the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment is required to award at least five oral health screening grants to conduct oral health screening activities in schools for students in kindergarten and third grade. In selecting grantees, the department is required select locations that represent a variety of school settings, including large and small local education providers in urban, rural and frontier areas of the state, with priority given to schools with students who are likely to experience higher rates of undetected oral health concerns.

 

creates a refundable state income tax credit for eligible students. The tax credit will be equal to the amount paid in tuition and fees minus any scholarships or grants with respect to the first 65 academic credit hours or equivalent accumulated at an institution. Eligible students must:

  • Matriculate at a public Colorado institution of higher education, an area technical college or Colorado mountain college and AIMS community college within two years of high school graduation or an equivalent in Colorado;
  • Qualify for in-state tuition for the semester or term for which the incentive is claimed;
  • Complete a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) or Colorado application for state financial aid (CASFA) for the semester or term for which an incentive is claimed that indicates the student's household has an adjusted gross income that is $90,000 or less; and
  • Have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher for the semester or term for which the incentive is claimed.

Institutions will report each eligible student for any semester or term completed during the prior calendar year and provide each eligible student with a statement containing their eligibility and incentive amount.

 

California Senate Passes Licensure and Medicaid Legislation

 

The California Senate has passed two bills that will impact licensure and coverage of dental procedures for people enrolled in Medicaid, respectively.

 

would require specified state licensing boards, including the Dental Board of California and the Dental Hygiene Board of California, to develop a process to expedite the licensure process for an applicant who demonstrates intention to practice in a medically underserved area or serve a medically underserved population.

 

would expand Medicaid coverage of crowns and dental implants. Current law limits coverage for laboratory-processed crowns to posterior teeth for individuals who are 21 years of age or older, when medically necessary, to restore a posterior tooth back to normal function. This bill would remove the condition that the tooth be posterior and would apply the coverage to individuals 13 years of age or older. The bill would also add coverage for a dental implant if tooth extraction or removal is medically necessary or if the corresponding tooth is missing. Prior authorization would be required, and coverage would be conditioned on there being no other covered functional alternatives for prosthetic replacement to correct the person’s dental condition.

 

Both bills have been sent to the state’s Assembly for consideration.

 

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 on teledentistry
  • ADEA on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
  • ADEA policy regarding overprescription of antibiotics
  • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click .

The 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.

 

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American Dental Education Association

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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

 

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