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American Dental Education Association

Volume 2, No. 59, June 22, 2022

HHS Officials Stress the Need for Additional COVID Funding During Senate Hearing
 
Last week, the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee held another hearing [ [link removed] ] in its series of hearings on the ongoing federal response to the coronavirus. Officials from the Biden administration continued to stress the need for additional funding to not only continue providing access to current vaccines, but also to prepare the country for fall and winter coronavirus surges.
 
However, Republican Senators, led by U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), accused the administration of providing the Senate with “patently false” information concerning the amount of money the administration had for its coronavirus efforts. They pointed to recently announced White House plans to redirect current coronavirus funding [ [link removed] ] to support current vaccine and testing program. The Biden administration insisted that they had not lied and that redirecting the funding was a last resort, because the short fall created by the redirection means that the Department of Health and Human Services does not have the funding to secure next-generation vaccines and treatments.
 
Due to the distrust expressed by the Republicans during the hearing, it is unlikely that additional coronavirus funding will be secured in the near term.

New Hampshire Bill Expands Dental Benefits for Adults Enrolled in Medicaid
 
Both chambers of the General Court of New Hampshire voted in favor of legislation [ [link removed] ] that would expand dental benefits for adults enrolled in Medicaid. If signed into law, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services would be required to solicit information and contract with managed care organizations to manage the benefits program. A managed care organization awarded a contract would be required to cover:
 • Diagnostic and preventative services;
 • Comprehensive restorative treatment to prevent or treat oral health conditions;
 • Oral surgery and treatment necessary to relieve pain, eliminate infection or prevent imminent tooth loss; and
 • Removable prosthodontic coverage for specified populations.

Additionally, the benefit would be capped at $1,500 annually, excluding preventative services. The program would also be required to implement maximum cost sharing allowed under federal guidelines for all services other than diagnostic and preventative services for families with incomes 100% above the federal poverty level.

North Carolina Debates Medicaid Expansion and Managed Care
 
Medicaid expansion is back on the table in North Carolina where legislators in the state’s Senate overwhelmingly passed [ [link removed] ] a bill that would extend Medicaid coverage to individuals who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level. While the hotly debated legislation [ [link removed] ] recently gained Republican support in the Senate, the picture in the state’s House of Representatives [ [link removed] ] however, is less clear, as some Republicans in that chamber have expressed a desire to address Medicaid expansion in the fall. Additionally, the proposal contains a work requirement, which federal courts have struck down in other states.
 
North Carolina is also considering a shift in its Medicaid dental coverage [ [link removed] ] from fee-for-service to managed care. While most of North Carolina’s Medicaid program transitioned to managed care last year, dental coverage remained a fee-for-service program managed by the state. In July, a task force will begin a year-long process to examine the question and make recommendations. While some members of the task force are already vocal proponents of the shift, others have stated their desire to examine the issue closely and consider whether a move to managed care would bring any additional value.

Colorado Governor Signs Bill to Create Peer Health Assistance Program for Dental Hygienists
 
On June 8, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a bill [ [link removed] ] intended to assist dental hygienists in coping with stress and other mental health issues they may be facing. When implemented, the bill will create a peer health assistance program for dental hygienists to assist with physical, emotional or psychological problems that may be detrimental to a dental hygienist’s ability to practice. The bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Cleave Simpson (R), has stated a desire [ [link removed] ] to model the program after the state’s Dental Peer Health Assistance Program [ [link removed] ] .

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
 • ADEA memo [ [link removed] ] regarding vaccines at the state level
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • 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] ] .

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.
 
©2022
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-289-7201
Website: www.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
 
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