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American Dental Education Association

Volume 1, No. 35, October 22, 2019

Gov. Newsom Vetoes Medi-Cal Reimbursement for Silver Diamine Fluoride

 

Last month, the ADEA Advocate informed readers that was headed to the desk of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that would allow Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid system, to reimburse service providers for the application of silver diamine fluoride when used as a caries-arresting agent. On Oct. 13, however, Gov. Newsom vetoed the bill, citing

 

Similar legislation was vetoed in 2018 by Gov. Newsom’s predecessor Gov. Jerry Brown (D) because of similar concerns about costs. It was thought this version of the legislation stood a better chance for passage than the 2018 version because benefits were limited to children under the age of six, persons with disabilities or other underlying conditions as well as adults who live in a licensed nursing facility or a licensed intermediate-care facility.

 

The legislature could still override the Governor’s veto with two-thirds vote in both houses, but the legislature has already adjourned for the year, and override votes in California are .

New York Bill to Make Dental Faculty License Permanent Heads to Governor’s Desk

 

On Oct. 11, a that would make a permanent fixture in New York was sent to the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). The law that currently authorizes restricted dental faculty licenses includes a sunset provision that would eliminate the authorization on Feb. 1, 2021. This legislation removes the sunset provision.

 

The bill passed both chambers of the New York State Legislature with only one dissenting vote. The Governor must sign or veto the bill within 10 days of receiving it, or the bill will become law without his signature.
House Democrats Introduce the College Affordability Act

 

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor Chair, U.S. Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), introduced last week , The College Affordability Act—the House’s Democratic version of the Higher Education Reauthorization Act. The 1,146-page bill focuses on measures to address college affordability for students and their families. A few notable provisions of the include:

  • Streamlining the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process;
  • Replacing current repayment plans with one fixed repayment plan and one income-based repayment plan, using more generous repayment terms for low- and middle-income students than any option available today;
  • Allowing students to refinance their old student loan debt at today’s interest rates;
  • Introducing stronger accountability under Title IX to track and prevent cases of sexual assault, harassment and hazing; and
  • Creating stronger accountability by prohibiting access to taxpayer funding for institutions that cause a large share of student loan defaults.

Republican leaders on the Committee do not support the bill. Their primary concern is that the bill does not address the underlying issue of exploding college costs. Republicans also lamented the partisan way in which the bill was drafted.
Dems Advance Bill to Allow Federal Government to Negotiate Prices of Top Prescription Drugs

 

Last month, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced , the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019. This proposal would establish a major shift in the way many prescription drugs are priced in the United States by empowering the federal government to directly negotiate drug prices for the top 250 drugs with the greatest total cost to Medicare. The price determined by the negotiation process would be available to all purchasers, not just Medicare beneficiaries. Making the negotiated drug prices available to all purchasers would effectively lower drug costs for a significant number of Americans. It is estimated that H.R. 3 will produce $345 billion in Medicare savings.

 

Due to the bill’s significant cost savings, Democratic leaders are now considering expanding Medicare coverage to as part of H.R. 3.

 

This week, the House Committees on Education and Labor and Energy and Commerce—two of three committees with jurisdiction over H.R. 3—advanced the bill. The House Ways and Means Committee will vote on the bill next week. While the White House has remained quiet on the bill, it is not expected to garner enough Republican support to pass the Senate.

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.

 

©2019

American Dental Education Association

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA

ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer

 

Bridgette DeHart, J.D.

ADEA Director of Federal Relations

 

Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.

ADEA Director of State Relations and Advocacy

 

Brian Robinson

ADEA Program Manager for Advocacy and Government Relations

 

Ambika R. Srivastava, M.P.H.

ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Jack Bresch Legislative Intern

 

Higher Logic