ADA Advocacy News THE ADA Supports Efforts to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine
Teenage vaping remains a serious problem as e-cigarette companies continue to circumvent federal oversight of tobacco plant-derived nicotine by using an unregulated synthetic version. Lawmakers on Tuesday proposed language for inclusion in the federal omnibus budget bill that would give the FDA authority to regulate synthetic nicotine. The ADA has advocated for the regulation of synthetic nicotine, and the Association joined 61 other organizations in sending a letter to leaders of the House and Senate in March urging the lawmakers to give the FDA authority to regulate synthetic nicotine products, calling it a "serious public health situation."
REDI Act Introduced in the Senate
Legislation under consideration in Congress would allow dental and medical students to defer interest accrual on federal education loans while they participate in internships or residency programs. The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act has passed in the House and was introduced last year by Representative Brian Babin, R-Texas, who is a dentist. A Senate companion measure was introduced February 16 by Senators Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, and John Boozman, R-Arkansas.
ADA Thanks Congress for Cures 2.0 Act
In a March 17 letter, ADA President Cesar R. Sabates, DDS, and Executive Director Raymond A. Cohlmia, DDS, thanked the lawmakers for introducing HR 6000, the Cures 2.0 Act. The bill contains several issues the ADA supports. The ADA is urging lawmakers to include dentistry when developing a strategy to prepare for the next pandemic. “It is critical that dentistry be recognized as a viable resource in expanding the nation’s medical surge capacity,” Drs. Sabates and Cohlmia wrote. “For example, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials granted pharmacists the ability to order and administer tests. Dentists were never granted that authority by the federal government, even though 24 states and the District of Columbia did so. In order to avoid these types of problems in the future, dentists need to be included in the Cures 2.0 Act as an essential part of the response strategy for future pandemics.” Drs. Sabates and Cohlmia also said that dentists are among those providers who can administer vaccines and urged the lawmakers to recognize that in the bill, noting that both the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Response Framework both identify dentistry by name as a “vital” medical countermeasure. “Having dentistry at the planning table early on — and being there in a codified way in the Cures 2.0 Act — will help ensure that this vital national resource is not overlooked.”
ADA Joins Forces to Ask for Increased Access to ORs
Improving access to dental surgical services for children and adults with special needs and disabilities can help increase oral health equity and eliminate disparities in oral health treatment. The ADA, The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons told lawmakers in comments sent to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health regarding the Bridging Health Equity Gaps for People with Disabilities and Chronic Conditions during the hearing. Operating room access is a key challenge. "Our organizations have collectively witnessed a major decrease in operating room access for dental procedures over the last decade," according to the comments. The groups said the problem stems from a lack of sustainable billing mechanism for dental surgical services in Medicare and Medicaid.
Dentist and Student Lobby Day
The ADA recently held its annual Dentist and Student Lobby Day in Washington, DC. Dentists and dental students from across the country lobbied the following bills to their members of Congress: S. 1793/H.R. 3461 – the Dental and Optometric Care Access Act of 2021 (DOC Access Act) would prohibit dental and vision plans from setting the fees network doctors may charge for services not covered by the insurers. Even though 41 states including Oklahoma have passed non-covered services laws for dental, and three additional states have passed similar laws for optometric, many dental and vision plans are federally regulated, so insurers claim they are exempt from having to follow state laws. This bill would close this loophole and is narrowly drawn to apply only to dental and vision plans regulated by the federal government. This legislation would not interfere with the states’ abilities to maintain and enforce their own insurance regulations and laws; instead, it complements the work already done by most state legislatures across the country. S. 3166/H.R. 4439 – the Medicaid Dental Benefit Act of 2021 (MDBA) would make comprehensive dental care a mandatory component of Medicaid coverage for adults in every state. This would open the door to regular care in more appropriate and cost-effective settings, resulting in fewer people turning to emergency departments to relieve dental pain. This change would save our health system an estimated $2.7 billion annually. S. 754/H.R. 1916 – the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA) would require all private group and individual health plans to cover medically necessary services resulting from a congenital anomaly or birth defect. This would include inpatient and outpatient care and reconstructive services and procedures, as well as adjunctive dental, orthodontic, or prosthodontic support. The bill specifically exempts cosmetic surgery. This bill passed the House on April 4 after an ADA-initiated grassroots email campaign that generated thousands of emails from dentists to Congress. The bill next moves to the Senate and the ADA will continue its advocacy to make sure the bill passes the Senate and becomes law.
28 journal | May/June 2022
