Advocacy: A Key Member Benefit
By Mike Eggnatz, DDS
Advocacy is consistently ranked as the one of the most valuable membership benefits by members of the American Dental Association (ADA). It is a comprehensive term that encompasses many facets of our relationship with legislators who determine the scope of our dental license and our profession. There are national issues we advocate for through the American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC), and many more here in Florida through the Florida Dental Association Political
Action Committee (FDAPAC). National issues we have successfully advocated for are the repeal of the McCarran-Ferguson Act (a law that exempts insurance companies, including health insurance companies, from some of the antitrust laws) and an appropriate pathway for a dental benefit in Medicare if it were to be included in legislation. At the FDA, you can be directly influential as a grassroots dentist by becoming a legislative contact dentist (LCD). You can have a direct and immediate impact on legislation that affects your
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