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American Dental Education Association


Volume 2, No. 85, January 31, 2023

FDA Proposes Simplifying COVID Vaccine Schedule
 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed creating a yearly COVID vaccine schedule, like the flu vaccine schedule. A yearly schedule would simplify and normalize the COVID vaccine schedule. Similar to the way the flu vaccine is handled, the COVID vaccine would try to predict and match whatever variant will be circulating in the upcoming winter. The hope is that the public could receive their COVID shot at the same time they receive their flu shot.
 
The proposed schedule [ [link removed] ] would also eliminate the two-shot primary series for most unvaccinated people, in favor of a mainstreamed program. However, older, high-risk and immunocompromised Americans could still be recommended to get two shots a year, as could young children when they reach the age eligible for vaccinations.
 
The FDA will not make any final decisions until late February after a panel of experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a similar public discussion on the newly proposed schedule. After which, both the FDA and CDC will likely release finalized reports, leading to the CDC releasing a new COVID vaccine schedule. The new COVID vaccine schedule will likely go into effect in the fall.

CMS Issues Guidance Letters to State Medicaid Directors Expanding Medicaid Flexibilities
 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued guidance letters to state Medicaid directors.
 
The first letter [ [link removed] ] , dated Jan. 4, establishes a new opportunity for states to use Medicaid funding to address social determinants of health, thereby producing better health outcomes, lowering costs and narrowing the health disparities gap. Under this expanded “in lieu of services and settings” option, Medicaid-managed care dollars can be used to address health-related social needs, for example, housing instability and food insecurity, without the need for states to apply for waivers.
 
The second letter [ [link removed] ] , dated Jan. 5, clarified that Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) policy for coverage and payment of interprofessional consultations is “permissible, even when the beneficiary is not present, as long as the consultation is for the direct benefit of the beneficiary.” It also noted that the consultation must be “directly relevant to the individual patient’s diagnosis and treatment, and the consulting practitioner must have specialized expertise in the particular health concerns of the patient.” Both practitioners must be in Medicaid physicians’ network.
 
Previously, Medicaid prohibited coverage and payment of interprofessional consultation, unless the patient was physically present during the consultation. The previous guidelines also required a complicated payment arrangement between the provider and the consultant. Specifically, the policy prohibited direct payment to the specialty consultant; rather, the provider would be paid by Medicaid and then the consultant would be paid by the provider. Under the new guidance, not only can interprofessional consultation occur outside of the physical presence of the patient, but also payment can be made directly from Medicaid to the consultant.

2023 ADEA/AADOCR/Friends of NIDCR Advocacy Day
 
On Thursday, March 30, 2023, the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR), the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) and the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) will join forces for a 2023 Advocacy Day [ [link removed] ] on Capitol Hill.
 
For the first time since 2019, this event will be held in person on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Participants will receive a legislative briefing and training session on March 29 that will feature speakers from Congress, the Biden administration and the NIDCR. The following day, March 30, will be dedicated to group meetings on Capitol Hill with targeted congressional offices, including participants’ own elected officials.
 
The deadline to register [ [link removed] ] for the 2023 Advocacy Day is Feb. 16.

Missouri Dental Board Waives Sections of Dental Practice Act to Implement Telehealth Dental Pilot Project
 
The Missouri Dental Board has issued an emergency rule [ [link removed] ] and proposed a permanent rule [ [link removed] ] that would waive specified sections of the state’s dental practice act in order to implement a telehealth dental pilot project. The pilot project is designed to examine new methods of extending dental care to residents in assisted living facilities, intermediate care facilities, residential care facilities, skilled nursing facilities and homebound, special needs patients.
 
By waiving sections of the law outlined in the rule, the following practices will be permitted:
 • Allow a dentist to supervise a dental assistant, certified dental assistant or expanded functions dental assistant using telehealth technology. A supervising dentist may delegate to an expanded functions dental assistant any expanded function duties that the dental assistant has a board-issued permit for.
 • Allow a licensed dental hygienist to administer local anesthetic under the supervision of a dentist using telehealth technology.
 • Allow temporary restorations or caries-arresting fluoride under the supervision of a dentist using telehealth technology subsequent to an examination and diagnosis by the supervising dentist.
 • Allow a licensed dental hygienist to provide scaling and polishing, root planing and nonsurgical periodontal procedures prior to the supervising dentist performing an examination pursuant to standing orders written by the supervising dentist.

The board is permitted to issue waivers of these provisions of law under new legislation [ [link removed] ] that was passed last year, and waivers would only apply to dental health care workers providing services pursuant to the pilot project specified in the rule. Comments can be sent to [email protected].

Utah Bill Would Expand Medicaid Dental Benefits for Adults to New Populations
 
On Jan. 23, the Utah Senate passed a bill [ [link removed] ] that would extend dental benefits to all adults who are enrolled in Medicaid. The state currently grants dental benefits [ [link removed] ] to adults who are blind or disabled, pregnant, in substance abuse programs, age 65 or older and other targeted populations. Adults who are not among the populations that currently receive benefits are eligible for limited emergency benefits and are given access to the state’s family dental plan, which requires them to pay for services at the same rate Medicaid pays. The bill has been sent to the state’s House of Representatives for consideration.
 
Expanding or adding dental benefits has been trending among states. In recent years, Delaware [ [link removed] ] , Hawaii [ [link removed] ] , Maine [ [link removed] ] , Maryland [ [link removed] ] , Minnesota [ [link removed] ] , Tennessee [ [link removed] ] and Virginia [ [link removed] ] have all added or expanded dental benefits for adults enrolled in Medicaid.

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 Ryan White Part F Dental Reimbursement Program
 • 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.
 
©2023
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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