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Volume 1, No. 46, January 28, 2020

Supreme Court Rejects Request for Expedited Review of Obamacare
 
In early January, Democratic lawmakers and state officials filed [ [link removed] v. Texas Petition for a Writ of Certiorari.pdf ] a motion asking the U.S. Supreme Court to expedite the review of the Texas v. United States case regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate. The case was sent back to the district court in December. The motion requested the Supreme Court bypass the lower courts and review the case during the court’s current session “because of the practical importance of the questions presented for review and the pressing need for their swift resolution by this Court.” The motion was opposed by the Trump administration who argued that the case should be allowed to move through the appropriate channels, noting that the ACA would remain intact and in effect for the foreseeable future.
 
On Jan. 21, the Supreme Court rejected the Democrats' request.
 
On Dec. 18, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision invalidating the ACA individual mandate, but the court did not address the issue of whether ACA itself remained viable without the individual mandate.
 
Stating that “the rule of law demands a careful, precise explanation of whether the provisions of the ACA are affected by the unconstitutionality of the individual mandate as it exists today,” the three-panel appeals court returned the case to the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas, leaving the lower court to decide if ACA can survive without the individual mandate.
 
The motion filed in January was largely seen as an effort by the Democrats [ [link removed] ] to raise awareness again for voters that losing certain aspects of ACA that are supported by the majority of Americans, such as ensuring coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, is a possibility.

Rural Dentistry Scholarship Bill Passes Wisconsin Assembly
 
On Jan. 21, the Wisconsin Assembly passed legislation that would create a scholarship to incentivize dentists to practice in underserved, rural areas of the state. An amended version of AB 258 [ [link removed] ] passed the Assembly by a 95-2 vote, and would award up to $40,000 annually to as many as five students at the Marquette University School of Dentistry (Marquette SOD). In exchange for receiving a scholarship, recipients must agree to practice at least 12 months in a dental health shortage area for every annual scholarship awarded. Additionally, the bill also appropriates $350,000 annually to the Marquette SOD for “the development and operation of programs to support the recruitment and training of students in rural dentistry.” The bill has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

Teledentistry Bill Passes Virginia House Committees
 
The Virginia General Assembly is considering legislation [ [link removed] ] that would establish requirements for the practice of teledentistry. The bill would establish a definition of teledentistry and would prohibit the practice of dentistry unless a “bona fide dentist-patient relationship,” as defined in the bill, is established. The legislation also would establish minimum standards for the practice of taking digital scans as well as require dentists to establish protocols for patient care that meet specified requirements when practicing teledentistry. The bill has passed two House committee votes and may be scheduled for a vote on the House floor soon.

American College of Physicians Endorses a Single Payer Model for the U.S.
 
On Jan. 21, the American College of Physicians endorsed a single-payer model for the United States [ [link removed] ] , specifically the group supported either the Medicare-for-All model or a public option [ [link removed] ] . Though the physician group does have concerns about Medicare reimbursement, which is below private insurance reimbursement rates, they “believe the status quo is an unsustainable model for our country and most importantly for our patients.”
 
About half of U.S. adults support a national Medicare-for-All plan, according to recent polling by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. A public option garners more support, with about two-thirds backing it. But both ideas face strong opposition from health insurance companies and other industry players.

Licensure Portability Bill Moving Through Missouri House
 
Legislation that would significantly increase licensure portability is moving through the Missouri House of Representatives. HB 2046 [ [link removed] ] has passed two committee votes and may be scheduled for a floor vote soon. Under the current version of the bill, anyone—including oral health professionals—who has held a professional license in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least one year is eligible to apply for a license in the state of Missouri. If an applicant can provide evidence that they have held a license for at least one year, an oversight body—including the Missouri Dental Board—must waive any examination, educational or experience requirements for licensure, if it determines minimum education and clinical supervision requirements were met in the other jurisdiction. However, the waiver would not apply to anyone who is under investigation by a licensing board, had a license revoked or who is under disciplinary action that has not been resolved. Oversight bodies also would still be permitted to require passage of examinations that test knowledge of laws of the state to apply for a professional license.
 
Arizona [ [link removed] ] passed similar legislation last year, but unlike the Missouri legislation, the Arizona bill only applied to citizens of the state.

Attention, dental and craniofacial researchers, oral health advocates, dental educators, students, residents and fellows:
Join the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the Friends of National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, for the 2020 AADR, ADEA and FNIDCR Capitol Hill Day. For Capitol Hill Day registration and information, click here [ [link removed] ] .

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.
 
©2020
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
 
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
 
[email protected] [ mailto:[email protected]?subject=State%20Update%3A%20 ]

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