AGD Capitol Connections

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.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released final reporting requirements for providers who received one or more payments exceeding $10,000 from the Provider Relief Fund. The reporting system will become available Jan. 15, 2021. Additionally, the department noted that recipients may be subject to auditing.

As the 2020-2021 state legislative session approaches, the Wisconsin AGD and Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) work to open regular communications around advocacy and discuss how the two organizations can partner as stakeholders in the oral health community.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) posted revisions on September 11 to regulations that implemented the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

AGD submitted comments to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on September 18 regarding a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Scoring Criteria Request for Information (RFI).

On September 16, the Businesses Preparing for a Better Tomorrow Act (H.R. 8260) was introduced by Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) to help employers combat the spread of COVID-19 by providing tax incentives for qualified employee training on best practices to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

On September 10, a Senate GOP pandemic relief package (S. 178) was blocked by Democrats in a 52 to 47 vote short of the 60 needed to advance the legislation for floor debate.

The House of Representatives voted this week to pass the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (H.R. 1418), a bill to repeal the antiquated McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption granted to the health insurance industry decades ago.

The AGD has worked diligently with constituents to help address issues during the COVID-19 emergency. This has included providing resources, creating state-specific action alerts and helping compose and send letters to government entities that express concerns of general dentists within their state.

On September 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Rural Action Plan, following an August 3 executive order requesting that the HHS produce a report on existing and upcoming efforts to improve rural healthcare.

On September 9, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a markup session for 38 pieces of legislation, including H.R. 1379, the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA).

In a September 8 letter to lead sponsors, AGD endorsed H.R. 7671, the Small Business Comeback Act. H.R. 7671 calls for the establishment of a Small Business Recovery Fund to help American businesses who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

AGD submitted comments on September 4 to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in response to their Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine (2020).

AGD President, Dr. Connie White, DDS, FAGD, sent a letter on August 27 to the Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Oral Health advocating for a return to May 2020 guidance language on N95 masks in its “Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

Ohio legislators have moved HB 11 to the Senate after it was passed through the House in June.

Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), chairman of the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, revealed draft legislative text and report language for FY 2020 spending within the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.

The House Veterans' Affairs Committee's Health Subcommittee held a legislative hearing on September 11th, to consider twelve pieces of legislation related to health policy across the VA system.

Policy Options for Improving Dental Coverage for People on Medicare was published by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) on September 18th, to provide information and guide discussion on potential ways to make oral health care more available and affordable for the Medicare population.

On September 18th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded grants of up to $300,000 to 298 health centers across the country to improve their oral health services infrastructure.

Amid recent accounts of vaping-related deaths and illnesses currently being investigated by the CDC, both the Trump Administration and members of Congress are escalating their efforts to combat the youth vaping epidemic.