Dentistrys voice must be heard in health reform policy, ADA president says

Washington鈥?We must act quickly if we are to have an effect on the outcome,” ADA President Ron Tankersley told Association members as negotiations continue on crafting a final health care reform bill from House鈥攁nd Senate-passed legislation.

“I know that I can count on you to take action and to help assure that dentistry鈥檚 voice is heard in the halls of Congress.”

The negotiations are expected to move “at a much faster pace” when lawmakers return Jan. 19 from a recess that masks the intense lobbying going on with members of Congress in their home districts and congressional staffers on Capitol Hill.

The Association has engaged in direct lobbying, grassroots action alerts, policy letters and an inside-the-beltway ad campaign to make the case to Congress for an oral health agenda, as the ADA president explained in a Jan. 8, 2010 action alert.

“The American Dental Association does not support either (House or Senate) bill,” Dr. Tankersley said. “However, we have vigorously lobbied for provisions consistent with ADA policy and to oppose issues in the legislation that we believe would be detrimental to the profession and our patients.”

The action alert covers many of the issues of interest and concern to dentistry “and to ask that you contact your lawmakers about these issues, all of which could affect you and your patients. We are now entering a very crucial period requiring us to use all available resources to ensure our message is heard. Your participation is a key part of our efforts.”

The action alert explains how dental health aide therapist legislation that was withdrawn during a Senate hearing showed up in the Senate-passed health care reform bill and why the Association opposes the several relevant provisions.

“Of course, we remain extremely disappointed that the bills do not address the tragic underfunding of dental Medicaid programs,” Dr. Tankersley said. “Nothing would do more to improve access to care than having government properly fund Medicaid.”

The alert also updates Association activity on other health care reform legislation.

• A proposed 5 percent tax on cosmetic procedures was removed from the Senate bill in favor of a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services; the ADA worked in coalition with other interested parties to oppose the so-called “botax” and “is very pleased to see it dropped from the bill.”
• The Association opposes the Senate鈥檚 $2,500 a year cap on flexible spending accounts; the Senate bill indexes the cap for inflation but the Association wants it eliminated or raised to the traditional $5,000 employer allowance.
• The Association is “disappointed” that Senate leaders, to secure a senator鈥檚 vote on final passage, removed from the bill a provision to repeal much of the McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption; however, the House-passed bill includes “a strong antitrust repeal provision, which the Association wants negotiators to retain in the final health care reform bill.
• A 40 percent excise tax would be levied on health care plans and services exceeding $23,000 for a family and $8,500 for an individual; medical and dental premiums and flexible spending accounts would be included in determining whether the cap is exceeded; the ADA opposes this “premium cap” and is working to have it eliminated or to assure that dental coverage and FSAs are not included in the calculation.
• The Association urges inclusion in final legislation of “a strong medical liability reform provision” to include a cap on non-economic damages and reasonable limits on attorneys鈥?fees.
• Provisions in both bills that merit organized dentistry鈥檚 support include expanded dental residency funding for general practice, pediatric and public health dentistry; for the first time, public health dental residency programs would be eligible for federal funds covering the entire residency program.
• The bills also provide loan repayment funding for dental faculty and state dental infrastructure programs. The Senate bill authorizes an oral health care prevention education campaign, expanded school-based dental sealant programs and a research-based dental caries management program that will include grants to private practice dentists.