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American Dental Education Association

Volume 2, No. 8, May 5, 2021

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

  • NHSC Service Loan Repayment Program and application
  • ADEA regarding vaccines at the state level
  • NIH "Understanding and Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination on Minority Health and Health Disparities"
  • NIDCR "Behavioral and Social Intervention Clinical Trial Planning and Implementation Cooperative Agreement"
  • For a full list of ADEA memos and letters click .
President Biden Unveils $1.8 Trillion Proposal Before Congress

 

Last week, in his speech before Congress, President Joe Biden asked Congress for $1.8 trillion to fund his . Biden’s speech ranging from immigration reform to police reform to providing paid family and medical leave for all Americans.

 

Biden proposed to make permanent the temporary expansion of additional federal subsidies to buy individual private health insurance on Healthcare.gov or state-run exchanges—a measure that was initially included in the last $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. The permanent expansion would cost $200 billion. He also proposed the creation of a new agency focused on developing breakthrough cures to prevent, detect and treat diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Biden wants the new agency, which would be under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health, to function like the Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that has produced such innovations as the global positioning system and Internet.

 

Biden also proposed providing two years of tuition-free community college, regardless of income, and pre-kindergarten for all children, regardless of family income, to all Americans. The White House’s proposal would also expand Pell grants for low-income students and subsidize two years of tuition at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) and institutions that serve members of Native American tribes.

 

The cost of his proposal would be paid for with a $1.5 trillion tax increase aimed primarily at higher income earners.

Colorado Legislature Sends Bills to Governor That Could Increase Dental Coverage

 

Last week, the Colorado General Assembly voted to send two bills to Gov. Jared Polis (D) that would increase dental coverage for residents of the state.

 

would repeal the state’s $1,000 cap on adult dental services provided through Medicaid. The cap was implemented in 2020 when the state was facing a massive budget shortfall.

 

requires dental plans and the state’s Medicaid program to reimburse providers of teledentistry. If signed into law, Medicaid would be required to reimburse providers at a rate that is comparable to an in-person visit, and dental plans would be required to meet requirements for teledentistry coverage that currently apply to health benefit plans regulated in the state. The following requirements would apply to dental plans:

  • Providers must be reimbursed on the same basis as an in-person visit.
  • Cost-sharing for the insured party cannot exceed that of an in-person visit.
  • A carrier cannot impose an annual expenditure maximum for services delivered through telehealth.
  • A carrier is not required to cover telehealth services that are not provided through HIPAA-compliant, interactive audio-visual communication.
ICE Allows Online Learning for 2021-2022 Academic Year

 

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued a that will allow non-immigrant students to maintain their visa status while participating in online learning for the 2021-2022 academic year. The program has extended the , which went into effect during the Trump administration.

 

Under the new guidance, previously enrolled non-immigrant international students, taking some or all their classes online, would remain in their lawful status. Students can take online classes from either inside the United States or abroad. The guidance enables schools and students to engage in online learning in excess of regulatory limits due to the public health emergency generated by COVID-19.

Florida Legislature Passes Protections for Institutions Sued for Tuition or Fee Reimbursement Due to Pandemic Precautions

 

The Florida Legislature will soon send to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) that would protect institutions of higher education from lawsuits seeking tuition or fee reimbursement due to precautions adopted to limit the impact or spread of COVID-19. seeking such reimbursements have been filed against intuitions in the state. Specifically, the bill states that institutions of higher education are immune from damages, equitable relief or other remedies for taking reasonable actions to limit the impact or spread of COVID-19. The bill provides that these protections extend to, but are not limited to:

  • Shifting in-person instruction to online or remote instruction for any period of time,
  • Closing or modifying the provision of facilities, other than housing or dining facilities, on the campus of the educational institution or
  • Pausing or modifying ancillary student activities and services available through the educational institution.

Additionally, the bill includes several tuition and fee breaks for students.
Washington State Legislature Sends Bill Requiring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Antiracism Training and Assessments to Governor

 

On April 26, the Washington State Legislature that would require institutions of higher education to adopt diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism training for faculty and staff beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year and for students beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year.

 

Under the bill, all new faculty and staff would be required to participate in the program. Other faculty and staff may participate in the professional development program as needed or required by their institution. Each institution must also develop a goal of at least 80% of total faculty and staff completing the program over a two-year period. All students would be required to participate in the 2024-2025 academic year, and only new and transferring students would be required to participate in subsequent years.

 

At least every five years, institutions would also be required to conduct climate assessments to understand the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus for students, faculty and staff. Additionally, institutions must, at minimum, conduct annual listening and feedback sessions for diversity, equity and inclusion for the entire campus community during periods between campus climate assessments. The bill also includes specified reporting requirements as well as requirements for institutions to publish results on their websites.

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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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

 

Higher Logic