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American Dental Education Association

Volume 1, No. 87, November 19, 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
No 6 – ADEA letter [ [link removed] ] regarding inclusion of dental professionals and students in national vaccination strategy
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
 
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] ] .

Department of Education Announces Updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
 
The Department of Education recently announced [ [link removed] ] changes to its Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). The major change focuses on the definition of what is a “qualifying payment.” A payment can now be considered as a qualifying “regardless of when a payment is made.” According to the announcement, the payment “will be counted as a qualifying payment as long as it was made in full and no later than 15 days after the payment due date. This change allows borrowers to make prepayments or lump-sum payments and have those payments potentially count as qualifying payments (given employment certification is on file and all other eligibility conditions are met) under the PSLF Program for up to 12 months or until the next time their income-driven repayment plan is due for certification, whichever comes first.”
 
Other changes announced were a simplified program application and forthcoming enhancements and tools for the PSLF website.

Biden Announces Coronavirus Taskforce
 
President-elect Joseph Biden announced his 12-member coronavirus taskforce [ [link removed] ] . The taskforce is co-chaired by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, a Professor of Public Health at Yale University. Biden previously released his plan to combat the coronavirus on his campaign website, and the taskforce will be charged with implementing that plan.
 
The plan calls for federal health agencies to collaborate on vaccine development, establish a public health corps to assist with testing and contact tracing and fully fund and expand the authority of the National Disaster Medical System to reimburse providers of Covid-19 treatments for costs that are not directly covered by health insurance. It also calls for increased testing capacity, funding for businesses and schools to reopen safely and eventually, an equitable and free distribution of a vaccine.
 
Kessler and Murthy were deeply involved in guiding the Biden campaign’s plans for responding to the virus, briefing Biden regularly, helping develop policy and helping top officials organize safe campaign events.

Colorado Governor’s Budget Proposal Would Restore Cuts to Higher Education
 
Earlier this month, Gov. Jared Polis (D) of Colorado released his budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2021-22 [ [link removed] ] . The budget, which the Governor is touting as a blueprint for sustained recovery [ [link removed] ] , would restore to FY 2019-20 levels the pandemic-related funding cuts made to higher education. The proposal includes funds carried over from this year after the state received better than expected tax revenues. It also includes $852 million in restored operating funds [ [link removed] ] , $215.6 million in restored state funding for financial aid and proposes a 3% cap on tuition increases.
 
Colorado law requires the Governor to release an annual budget proposal by the first Monday in November, which serves as a starting point for the state’s budget process [ [link removed] ] . The state’s Joint Budget Committee will craft its own budget, which will be released for review by the state’s General Assembly in late March 2021 or early April 2021.

FY 2021 Appropriations
 
Last week, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee released versions of all 12 of its fiscal year (FY) 2021 bills. These are not bipartisan bills; they are the Republican Subcommittee Chairman’s mark. The U.S. House of Representatives passed 10 of its 12 bills during the summer. The two Houses will now try to reach an agreement on final versions before Dec. 11, or they will have to pass an extension of the current Continuing Resolutions, keeping the government open. The unknown factor is President Trump and what he decides he is willing to sign.
 
The Labor-Health and Human Services bill provided most of what ADEA and our dental partners had requested:
 • Oral Health Training Programs are funded at the $40,673,000 requested, including the $12 million set-a-side each for general dentistry residencies and pediatric residencies. It also included the requested $2 million for the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment program. This is the same funding level as what the House included in its version of the bill.
 • The Ryan White Part F Dental Reimbursement program, which helps reimburse dental schools for the uncompensated care provided to persons living with HIV AIDS, received $13,122,000—the same as last year. This also is identical to the House’s amount.
 • For the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the Senate included $493,234,000. This is $11.7 million more than the House amount, but well below the $512-million request by ADEA, the American Dental Association, the American Association of Dental Research and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. It is $58.7 million more that the FY 2020 appropriation though. We, as a group, will say, “Thank you.”
 • The only disappointment was that the Senate bill did not include any funds for the Health Careers Opportunity Program; the House bill included $15 million. But U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the House Subcommittee Chair, is a champion for the program and will insist that funds be included in the final version.

Georgia Receives Approval for Partial Medicaid Expansion and Permission to Leave ACA Exchange Markets
 
In October, Georgia received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement a partial Medicaid expansion plan [ [link removed] ] under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The approved waiver would allow the state to expand Medicaid to individuals who earn up to 100% of the federal poverty level, instead of 138% as allowed by ACA. Enrollees in the expansion program, dubbed Georgia Pathways, would be required to pay premiums. They would also be required to work at least 80 hours per month. Work requirements [ [link removed] ] that were proposed or implemented in other states have been struck down by federal courts.
 
Shortly before the election, the state also received permission to leave healthcare.gov [ [link removed] ] , the health insurance exchange established under ACA. Beginning in 2023, residents in the state who wish to purchase health care will be required to do so through private brokers or individual insurance companies. Critics of the plan have said that it would represent a return to the chaotic marketplace that existed before the ACA in which brokers pushed plans that resulted in the biggest commissions. But the administration of Gov. Brian Kemp (R), who pushed for the plan, believes it will result in a 6% increase in enrollment.

ADEA LIAA Award to Honor Jack Bresch
 
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Leadership Institute Alumni Association (LIAA) created the ADEA LIAA Award to Honor Jack Bresch [ [link removed] ] in memory of John Edward “Jack” Bresch, who served for many years as Director of ADEA’s Center for Public Policy and Advocacy. This award acknowledges Jack Bresch and the role he played in advocacy and in his leadership by example.
 
The ADEA LIAA Award to Honor Jack Bresch will be presented to a current ADEA member who reflects the attitudes, values and behaviors in advocacy of oral health care and dental education as exemplified by Jack Bresch.
 
Self- and peer nominations are accepted and should include the following:
 • An abbreviated curriculum vitae, including educational background, academic appointments, honors and awards, a list of key publications and a list of career highlights.
 • A personal statement demonstrating the nominee’s advocacy for oral health care and dental education.

Eligible applicants:
 • Are a current ADEA member.
 • Have demonstrated advocacy for oral health care and dental education.

All nominations must be received on or before December 15, 2020.
Email all application materials to Eric Lund at [email protected].
 
Questions? Contact Mr. Eric Lund, ADEA Professional Development Manager, at 202-513-1188 or [email protected] with questions.

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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