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American Dental Education Association

Volume 2, No. 18, July 13, 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
 • Provider Relief Fund Reporting portal [ [link removed] ]
 • ADEA memo [ [link removed] ] regarding vaccines at the state level
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

DHS Withdraws Proposed Rule Limiting Student Visa Time Limits
 
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withdrew a proposed rule [ [link removed] ] initially introduced by the Trump administration. The proposed rule [ [link removed] ] would have limited students’ visas to two to four years and would apply to F visa students, I visa foreign media members and J visa exchange visitors. Under existing regulations, students’ visas are valid as long as they are meeting the requirements of their programs.
 
Only 1% of the more than 32,000 comments on the proposed rule supported the rule. The intent of the proposed rule was to prevent visa holders from overstaying their visas. However, the majority of comments did not support the proposed rule and instead, highlighted the costs and administrative burden the proposed regulation would place on students and employers.
 
After having reviewed the comments, DHS stated in its proposal withdrawal notice that it believed some of the comments had merit and the Department was “concerned that the changes proposed unnecessarily impede access to immigration benefits.” These concerns formed the basis upon which DHS issued the withdrawal notice. DHS also noted in the withdrawal notice that it reserves the right to address the issue of visa overstays in the future rulemakings.

Bill Introduced to Include Dental, Hearing and Vision Coverage in Medicare
 
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) proposed [ [link removed] ] legislative language that would expand Medicare to include dental, hearing and vision coverage for beneficiaries. It treats dental, vision and hearing care the same as existing health care under Medicare, with no cost-sharing for preventative care and no more than the standard 20% copay for all other services.
 
The bill would also make the following changes to federal law:
 • It will repeal the statutory exclusion that currently prohibits Medicare from covering most dental, vision and hearing care.
 • It will expand Medicare benefits to include items and services such as dentures, preventative and emergency dental care, refractive eye exams, eyeglasses, hearing aids and hearing exams.
 • It will allow for appropriate payment to health providers through Medicare Part B.

At least 75 Democrats have co-sponsored the legislation at introduction. The legislative language should be publicly available within the next week. U.S. Rep. Doggett hopes to include the legislative language in the reconciliation package, which is moving towards passage in the fall.

Oregon Passes Bill Regulating Student Loan Servicers
 
In late June, the Oregon State Legislature passed a Student Loan Bill of Rights [ [link removed] ] to regulate student loan servicers. Under the bill, all student loan servicers who operate in the state will be required to obtain a license and, according to the state’s Attorney General [ [link removed] ] , “refrain from fraudulent, deceptive and dishonest dealing.” The legislation also creates a student loan ombudsperson at the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services to review and resolve complaints made against student loan servicers as well as educate borrowers about loan repayment options.
 
Since 2015, at least 13 other states [ [link removed] ] have adopted some version of a Student Loan Bill of Rights.

Virginia Launches Comprehensive Dental Benefit for Adults on Medicaid While New Hampshire Fails Again to Fund Similar Benefits
 
On July 1, Virginia [ [link removed] ] began covering comprehensive dental benefits for adults enrolled in Medicaid. The legislature included funding for the benefits in 2019, but the benefit launch was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. More information regarding available benefits can be found on the Virginia Department of Medical Assistant Services [ [link removed] ] website.
 
New Hampshire [ [link removed] ] once again failed to include funding for adult Medicaid benefits in its annual budget, despite the governor signing legislation [ [link removed] ] mandating the inclusion of the benefits in 2019. Proposed funding for the program passed unanimously in the State Senate twice, but it was removed by Republicans in the state’s House of Representatives over cost concerns. The state currently provides [ [link removed] ] emergency-only dental benefits for adults.

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.
 
©2021
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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