ADA cannot support health reform legislation

Washington—The American Dental Association “cannot support” health care reform legislation awaiting final congressional action, the Association told Congress and ADA members in separate communications. In an “action alert,” the Association urged members to send “a similar message to your lawmakers as soon as possible.”

“Although we are gratified that the current legislation reflects some of our suggestions, we base our final position upon the answer to one fundamental question: will its enactment make it easier for millions of low-income Americans to get the oral health care they need?” said the letter to Congress signed by Dr. Ron Tankersley, ADA president, and Dr. Kathleen O鈥橪oughlin, executive director. “Unfortunately, the answer is no,” they wrote.

“Accordingly, we cannot support this measure,” the ADA told leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives as they rounded up votes for legislation intended to reconcile differences between House- and Senate-passed health care reform bills so Congress can send to the White House a bill that both chambers have passed in identical form.

The parliamentary maneuvering produced the Health Care and Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, which was headed for an expected March 21 “yay” or “nay” vote.

“The ADA cannot support this legislation, because it would not include provisions to improve access to dental care for millions of Americans by properly funding Medicaid dental services,” the Association officials said in the letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“We recognize that this legislation contains many worthwhile provisions pertaining to oral health,” the Association said. These include, the letter says:

• Increased funding for public health infrastructure including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention programs;
• Additional funding for school-based health center facilities and federally qualified health centers;
• Increased Title VII grant program opportunities for general, pediatric or public health dentists, and
• Funding for the National Health Service Corps loan repayment programs.

“We also support provisions that would require the CDC, in consultation with professional oral health organizations, to establish a five-year national public education campaign focused on oral health care prevention and education,” the Association said. “We strongly believe that education and prevention efforts are lacking in efforts to improve oral health among underserved populations. This campaign, coupled with other efforts to increase oral health literacy, would have a positive impact on the public鈥檚 oral health.

“Unfortunately, the value of the good provisions in the bill is outweighed by a crucial missing component, a commitment to improve the oral health for those citizens at the lowest end of the economic ladder,” the ADA told Congress.

“Failure to properly fund Medicaid is the primary reason for the ADA’s decision not to support this legislation. However, the bill contains a number of other provisions that we have consistently opposed, including provisions to allow workforce pilot programs that may lead to non-dentists performing surgical dental procedures. Funding for these provisions would be better spent on increasing funding for Medicaid dental services.

“We also object to restrictions on flexible spending accounts in the Senate-passed bill, although we do appreciate that you are delaying them by two years. Many Americans use these accounts to pay for needed dental care. In addition, the Senate bill does not adequately address patient protections that should apply to group health plans offering dental benefits (including free-standing dental plans), such as prohibiting plans from limiting payments on services not covered by the plan.

“Also, it does not include meaningful medical liability reform.”

The Association letter refers to health reform legislation passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve 2009, which lawmakers used as the basis for the reconciliation package.

The separate “action alert” to ADA members said the House of Representatives was expected to vote as soon as March 21 “assuming that 216 votes are found to do so.” The “alert” offers a sample message for an ADA member, “as a dentist and constituent,” to e-mail to “Your U.S. House Representative” with a subject line: “Do Not Support Health Care Reform” and editable text. The “alert” was sent to some 30,000 grassroots activist dentists.

The “alert” is posted at http://capwiz.com/dental/issues/alert/?alertid=14830791&type=CO.