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American Dental Education Association

Volume 1, No. 80, October 6, 2020

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.
 
Lost Clinic Revenue
Provider Relief Fund portal [ [link removed] ] and user guide [ [link removed] ]
August 11 – ADEA letter [ [link removed] ] regarding Dental School Clinic Reimbursement
 
Other COVID Issues
Sep 22 – Joint letter [ [link removed] ] regarding authorization of dental professionals to administer vaccine
Sep 4 – ADEA Comments [ [link removed] ] on Equitable Distribution of Vaccines
Aug 5 – Joint letter [ [link removed] ] regarding COVID-19 Loan Programs
 
Dental School COVID Related Capital Needs
Aug 5 – Joint letter [ [link removed] ] Regarding Institutional Aid
 
Additional Resources
ADEA webinar [ [link removed] ] on State Advocacy
NHSC Service Loan Repayment Program user guide [ [link removed] ] and application portal [ [link removed] ]
For a full list of ADEA Letters and Policy Memos, click here [ [link removed] ] .

ADEA Urges ED to Stop Investigation of Princeton
 
ADEA joined other higher education associations in urging the Department of Education (ED) to stop its investigation of Princeton University [ [link removed] ] . The letter goes on to note that “[i]t is vital for the federal government to support and assist … [universities’] pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
 
Earlier this month, ED announced that it was investigating Princeton following a letter [ [link removed] ] from Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber to the university community. The letter addressed systemic racism throughout the university’s history and provided an outline of steps that the university will take to improve itself.
 
President Eisgruber’s letter states, “[a]t a University that, for most of its history, intentionally and systematically excluded people of color, women, Jews, and other minorities, Princetonians … now take pride in the diversity of our community.” He went on to state that “[r]acism and the damage it does to people of color nevertheless persist at Princeton as in our society, sometimes by conscious intention but more often through unexamined assumptions and stereotypes, ignorance or insensitivity, and the systemic legacy of past decisions and policies.”
 
Pointing to the admissions made in the letter, ED accused Princeton [ [link removed] ] of potential violation of non-discrimination laws as well as for making false “material nondiscrimination and equal opportunity representations to students, parents, and consumers in the market for education certificates. …” ED’s investigation will focus on whether Princeton has misrepresented its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects people from discrimination.
 
Eighty university and college presidents also sent a letter of support [ [link removed] ] for Princeton to ED, asking that they halt their investigation. Many in the higher education community are concerned that the investigation is politically driven and designed to limit college presidents’ efforts to improve their schools.

NAM Releases Finalize Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine
 
Last week, the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Committee on Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus released its finalized report, Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine [ [link removed] ] . The report lays out a four-phase framework of guidelines for equitable COVID-19 vaccine allocation and explains the Committee’s overarching principles and rationale for the design of the four phases.
 
ADEA previously submitted comments [ [link removed] ] on NAM’s draft framework report, urging the inclusion of the dental community in the first round of vaccinations. Due to the efforts of ADEA and other dental health associations, dental clinicians were included in the first round of vaccine recipients in the final framework.
 
The report also contains recommendations focused on vaccine production and distribution, vaccine cost, community engagement in support of vaccine usage and the global role that the United States should play in vaccine distribution. More specifically, the recommendations note that schools and universities can be viable community vaccine distribution partners, and the recommendations also urge the United States to participate and actively engage in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global vaccine distribution efforts, including a U.S. donation of 10% of its vaccine supply to WHO for distribution around the world. It should be noted that neither CDC or NIH have not yet accepted this framework and recommendations, the Administration will decide how to proceed in the near future.

Expanded Medicaid Begins in Nebraska
 
Two years ago, voters in Nebraska passed a referendum that required the state to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to include individuals who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level. On Oct. 1, the state’s program finally began enrollment of expansion populations [ [link removed] ] . The state’s slow rollout relates to a plan developed by the administration of Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) that creates two tiers of Medicaid coverage for expansion populations. Coverage in the upper tier, or the prime plan, includes benefits that are common for non-expansion Medicaid beneficiaries in the program. Coverage in the lower tier, or the basic plan, does not include the full package of benefits, as it excludes dental, vision and over-the-counter medication. Coverage in the upper tier must be earned through specific wellness activities [ [link removed] ] , and in the second year, fulfillment of a work requirement.
 
The state has filed a waiver request with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would allow them to implement the two-tiered system. CMS still has not decided to approve or reject the application. As a result, only limited populations that include 19- and 20-year-old individuals, pregnant women and the medically frail are permitted to enroll in the prime plan. All other expansion populations must enroll in the basic plan until CMS has issued its decision.
 
Voters in Idaho, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Utah have passed similar referendums, requiring their state Medicaid programs to expand coverage under the ACA.

Continuing Resolution for FY 2021 Enacted
 
Congress passed and President Trump has signed (Public Law 116-159 [ [link removed] ] ) a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government operating through Dec. 11. Programs and agencies will continue to operate at the same funding levels and under the same conditions as during fiscal year 2020, which ended Sept. 30. The legislations also continued authority for certain programs to operate beyond the end of the year; the Community Health Centers, National Health Service Corps and the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program will continue through Dec. 11.

Committee in Kentucky Discusses Legislation to Allow Local Jurisdictions to Decide on Community Water Fluoridation
 
On Sept. 26, Kentucky’s Interim Committee on Joint and Local Government [ [link removed] ] held a public hearing to discuss legislation [ [link removed] 22 2020 20 SB 86.pdf ] that would give local governments the option of removing fluoride from their drinking water. The state currently requires [ [link removed] ] water systems that serve 1,500 or more people to fluoridate their water supplies.
 
The Committee heard from [ [link removed] ] several opponents and proponents of community water fluoridation, including one of the bill’s sponsors, State Sen. Stephen West (R). The President of the Kentucky Dental Association, Dr. Darren Grenwell, spoke in opposition to the bill, calling fluoride “the second, single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.” Dr. Greenwell also pointed out that studies have shown fluoridation is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay.
 
Recognized as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century by the U.S. Surgeon General, extensive research has demonstrated that adding fluoride to drinking water in appropriate amounts is a safe and cost-effective public health intervention [ [link removed] ] .

Red Cross Seeking Blood Donors
 
The American Red Cross provides about 40 percent of our nation’s blood and blood components, all from generous volunteer donors. Yet, supply cannot always meet demand, since only about 3 percent of age-eligible people donate blood yearly.
 
Healthy individuals who are feeling well are asked to make an appointment to donate by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org [ [link removed] ] , calling 1-800-RED CROSS or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance. Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions including social distancing and face coverings for donors, volunteers, and staff. If you or someone you know have fully recovered from COVID-19, the Red Cross needs your help, to learn more go to: RedCrossBlood.org/Plasma4Covid [ [link removed] ]

ADEA State Calendar [ [link removed] ]

ADEA Washington Calendar [ [link removed] ]

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

Key Federal Issues [ [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.
 
©2020
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
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Brian Robinson
ADEA Program Manager for Advocacy and Government Relations
 
[email protected] [ [link removed] ]

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