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American Dental Education Association


Volume 2, No. 78, December 1, 2022

Administration Extends Student Loan Repayment Pause Beyond Dec. 31
 
On Nov. 22, the Department of Education (ED) announced that it was extending the pause on student loan repayment, interest and collections due to an Oct. 21 action by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that granted a request for an emergency stay from six states that have sued to block the Biden-Harris administration’s student loan forgiveness plan. The appeals court said it would hear the case on an expedited basis.
 
The Department’s announcement states that “Payments will resume 60 days after the Department is permitted to implement the program or the litigation is resolved, which will give the Supreme Court an opportunity to resolve the case during its current Term. If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, 2023—payments will resume 60 days after that.”
 
In August, ED extended the COVID-era pause in student loan repayments, interest accrual and collections through Dec. 31, 2022, and informed those with student loan debt that they should be prepared to resume monthly payments in January 2023. But this latest action extends the resumption until sometime in 2023.

HHS Community Initiative to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations
 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced [ [link removed] ] a $350-million initiative to increase COVID-19 vaccines through community-based facilities and events this winter. The vaccines will be made available through mobile, drive-up, walk-up or special events. According to HHS, such locations have administered 22 million vaccines in underserved communities nationwide.
 
This is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s larger effort to increase vaccinations, which currently stands at 11.3% of those eligible. In addition to the above announcement, $125 million will be used to get the vaccine to older Americans and people with disabilities. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will remind nursing homes that they are required to educate and offer vaccines to residents, and HHS will launch an ad campaign urging older adults to talk with providers about COVID treatment, among other measures.
 
In recent weeks, administration officials have scoured HHS for funding to make the post-Thanksgiving vaccination push. In early November, the administration requested [ [link removed] ] more money from Congress to stay ahead of a possible winter surge, but opponents have said its inclusion in an end-of-year spending package is unlikely.

New York Governor Signs Bill Changing Residency Requirements
 
On Nov. 21, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a bill [ [link removed] ] that will remove a requirement for residency programs to be clinically based. In New York, a one-year residency is an eligibility requirement [ [link removed] ] for licensure as a dentist. Prior to the Governor’s signature, residency programs were required to be clinically based, but the new law will allow other types of residency programs to fulfill the requirement for licensure.
 
According to the bill’s justification statement, the existing, one-year clinical requirement excludes “well-recognized accredited dental residency programs in oral medicine, orofacial pain, and dental public health” that are deemed not to be purely clinical.

Canadian Dental Benefit Becomes Law
 
Canada’s new federal dental benefit officially became law [ [link removed] ] on Nov. 17. The benefit [ [link removed] ] will launch on Dec. 1 and will provide direct payments to families with household incomes below $90,000 (CAD) with children under 12 who are not otherwise insured. Payments will be provided on a sliding scale based on family income, and families with a net-adjusted income below $70,000 (CAD) can receive up to $650 (CAD) per child, while families that earn up to $90,000 (CAD) are eligible for payments of $260 (CAD). Families applying for the benefit must also understand they may be required to provide receipts to verify out-of-pocket expenses.
 
The benefit was crafted under a deal between the between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party. Liberals have promised to expand the program [ [link removed] ] to children under 18, seniors and people who are living with disabilities. Full implementation is expected to occur in 2025 and would extend coverage to all families with incomes below $90,000 (CAD).

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
 • Applications open [ [link removed] ] for HRSA Dental Public Health Research Fellowship
 • 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] ] .

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [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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