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American Dental Education Association

Volume 1, No. 82, October 20, 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
Sep 25 – Joint letter [ [link removed] ] in Support of Supplemental COVID-19 Relief
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] ] .

Several November State Ballot Measures Could Impact Health and Education
 
This November, in addition to electing officials to state and federal offices, citizens in several states will have the opportunity to vote on ballot initiatives [ [link removed] ] that could have an impact on health and education in their states.
 
In California [ [link removed] ] , voters will decide whether to repeal the state’s 24-year ban on affirmative action. Proposition 16 would overturn a 1996 ballot initiative that banned the practice. It would permit government decision-making policies to consider race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in order to address diversity by repealing a state constitutional provision prohibiting such policies.
 
Voters in Colorado [ [link removed] ] will decide if the state should increase its tax for all tobacco products, except those labeled as modified-risk tobacco products [ [link removed] ] (MRTP). MRTP are deemed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to create lower health risks when compared to other tobacco products. Critics of the carve out for MRTP products believe it was included to benefit the company Altria that lobbied heavily to include language exempting MRTP products. If passed, the increased revenue [ [link removed] ] would initially be used to maintain the K-12 funding lost because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2023, the revenue would be used to pay for universal pre-school.
 
Oregon [ [link removed] ] is also considering an increased tobacco tax. The ballot measure has been projected to provide the state with an additional $130 million in annual revenue, which would be used for public health programs, including tobacco cessation and prevention.
 
Finally, voters in Oklahoma [ [link removed] ] will be asked if the state should use funds from its Tobacco Settlement Endowment Fund to pay for the state’s share of another recently passed ballot initiative, Medicaid Expansion [ [link removed] ] . Supporters [ [link removed] ] of the ballot question say it will allow the state to provide funding for expansion population’s without raising taxes. Opponents argue that taking money away from the program, which is used to pay for smoking cessation and prevention programs, could harm citizens in the state and could also negatively impact the program’s ability to adapt to new products created by tobacco companies.

White House Rejects Proposed CDC Guidance on Mask Mandate on Mass Transportation
 
The White House Coronavirus Taskforce has rejected proposed guidance [ [link removed] ] by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that would have required masks on forms of mass transportation like buses, trains, airplanes and subways as well as in airports, stations and depots. According to reports, the proposed guidance had the support of Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. If released, this guidance would have been in alignment with the recently released CDC guidance confirming the aerosolization [ [link removed] ] of the coronavirus.
 
The White House requires sign off by the taskforce prior to a guidance being released. The taskforce cited its concern that the CDC’s guidance was a one-size-fits-all approach, and that masks mandates are best left to the states—a position that the Trump administration has supported throughout the pandemic.
 
On at least two other occasions during the pandemic, the White House and the CDC have disagreed on a proposed guidance designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

California Governor Vetoes Bill Meant to Create Due Process for Fired or Disciplined Dental and Medical Residents
 
Regular readers of the ADEA Advocate may recall a story from September [ [link removed] ] about a California bill [ [link removed] ] that would have allowed dental and medical residents to challenge termination of employment or disciplinary action. The bill would have allowed challenges to be heard by a three-person panel with the authority to provide a full remedy for termination or discipline without just cause. The bill did not apply to the termination of employment or disciplinary action based on academic or clinical matters.
 
At the time of writing the previous article, the bill had passed both chambers of the legislature and been sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for review. On Sept. 29, Gov. Newsom vetoed the bill. In his veto message [ [link removed] ] , the Governor stated that while he believes the residents “deserve an opportunity to challenge a disciplinary action or termination of employment that may be wrongful,” the definitions of academic and clinical were “too narrow,” and did not “fully consider the various criteria used in determining a resident’s readiness to safely practice.”

Kaiser Family Foundation Finds Half of African Americans Would Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine
 
Last week, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released a study [ [link removed] ] on African American attitudes and experiences with the health care system, with a particular focus on their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also examines the impact of the coronavirus on the African American community.
 
The study polled 1,769 adults and is one of the most expansive studies on African American attitudes and experiences in health care. Close to half of the African Americans in the study said that they would not take a vaccine for the coronavirus, even if it was deemed safe, compared to two-thirds of white Americans and 60% of Hispanic Americans who would take the vaccine.
 
The KFF study delves further into the causes for African Americans’ caution and skepticism of the vaccine and the health care system as a whole.

Red Cross Seeking Blood Donations
 
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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