AGD Capitol Connections

On December 8, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to unanimously pass AGD-backed legislation, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021 (H.R.4555). The legislation resulted from a multi-year AGD advocacy initiative and considerable collaboration with AGD's allies in Congress.

On November 17, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding a markup session for pending legislation, including the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act (H.R.4555).

Consideration of President Biden's broad social spending package, the Build Back Better Act (H.R.5376), in the U.S. House of Representatives is paused pending the release of cost scoring estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

On November 5, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published corresponding regulations on COVID-19 vaccination policies in the workplace.

In an effort spearheaded by AGD, the Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) recently sent a letter to the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its respective Health Subcommittee in support of the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act (H.R.4555). The letter was delivered ahead of the Health Subcommittee's October 20 hearing on "Enhancing Public Health: Legislation to Protect Children And Families", during which the AGD's President, Dr. Bruce Cassis, DDS, MAGD, testified on the subject of oral health literacy and in support of the H.R.4555.

On October 28, the White House released its framework for the Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation package with a topline cost of $1.75 trillion. Notably, the framework removed a proposal to create a dental benefit under Medicare Part B that was previously included in legislation under consideration in the House of Representatives.

On October 11, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued a "dear colleague" letter outlining her perspective on the path forward for the Build Back Better Act, the "human infrastructure" package expected to total between $1.5 – $3.5 trillion in spending on a broad range of programs.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent a COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on October 12 for regulatory review.

On October 20, AGD's President, Dr. Bruce Cassis, DDS, MAGD, will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health in support of the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act (H.R.4555).

HRSA recently posted additional information and resources regarding the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments and announced several guidance webinar sessions for providers who may apply for the funding.

Tumultuous interparty negotiations over Democrat's $3.5 trillion Budget Reconciliation package, the Build Better Back Act, resulted in the anticipated House vote last week on the $550 billion bipartisan physical infrastructure package being delayed.

In an effort led by the American Dental Association, AGD and other members of the Organized Dentistry Coalition sent a letter to Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) in support of her legislation H.R.4631, the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt (POST GRAD) Act.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on September 8 that it would be conducting a two-day public workshop, "Reconsidering Mandatory Opioid Prescriber Education Through a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) in an Evolving Opioid Crisis," to allow stakeholders to provide input on aspects of the current opioid crisis that could be mitigated measurably by requiring mandatory prescriber education as part of a REMS.

On September 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that an additional $25.5 billion in new funding would be made available through HRSA's Provider Relief Fund to health care providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House Ways & Means Committee and the House Energy & Commerce Committee voted on September 10 and 15 to pass portions of the Democrats' $3.5 trillion "human infrastructure" Budget Reconciliation package, the Build Back Better Act. These two Committees included a proposal to expand Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits in their portions of the package.

AGD signed on to an Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) letter that was sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in support of H.R.1550, the Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New Treatments for (PREVENT) HPV Cancers Act. The letter called for the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act to be brought to the House floor for a vote and communicated the ODC’s strong support for the legislation.

On August 30, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Dr. Natalia Chalmers, D.D.S., would be its first-ever Chief Dental Officer (CDO) in the Office of the Administrator.

On September 1, a group of 11 allied dental organizations, including AGD, ADA, and AAOMS, sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate, as well as relevant Congressional Committees, urging them to reconsider legislative proposals that would expand Medicare to include a dental benefit.

AGD’s President, Dr. Bruce Cassis, D.D.S., MAGD, sent a letter to every member of the U.S. House and Senate on September 7, asking them to consider the unforeseen and significant consequences of expanding Medicare to include dental benefits.

It is critical for you to register your opposition NOW with your elected officials. Urge them to consider the unforeseen and significant consequences for patients and providers that enacting an unsound policy to expand Medicare to include dental benefits may yield.