The American Dental Association vows to advocate for dentists' best interest, which often involves urging the federal government to adopt policies that serve them.
Twelve times the organization urged the federal government to change policy so far in 2020:
- In a Jan. 6 letter, the ADA asked Congress to pass the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, which requires all private group and individual health plans to cover necessary procedures that repair or restore congenital anomalies.
- The ADA and other healthcare organizations signed a public statement March 27 strongly supporting emergency efforts at the federal level to increase the production and distribution of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies amid the pandemic. The statement also called for the immediate removal of any impediments in the supply chain.
- In an April 17 letter sent to HHS, the ADA asked the federal government for COVID-19 tests to help protect dentists who were reopening their practices.
- In a May 6 letter sent to the CDC, the ADA asked the agency to provide guidance on how to safely reopen dental practices during the deceleration phase of the pandemic.
- In a June 5 letter to Congress, the ADA and the Dental Trade Alliance requested a suspension of tariffs for infection control products necessary to fight the spread of COVID-19.
- The ADA sent a letter to federal lawmakers June 24 thanking them for introducing the Small Business Personal Protective Equipment Tax Credit Act, which allots a tax credit of up to $25,000 to dental practices for infection control expenses.
- In a July 9 letter to Congress, the ADA, along with more than 100 stakeholders, requested a proposal that would ease the forgiveness process for Paycheck Protection Program loans under $150,000.
- In July 10 and July 17 letters to congressional leaders, the ADA, along with the Organized Dentistry Coalition and some state dental associations, called for relief for dental practices via the federal pandemic relief package.
- The ADA sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration Aug. 6 asking it to delay its prescriber registration fee schedule one year.
- In a Sept. 4 letter to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the ADA advocated for dental professionals to receive early access to a COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available.
- The ADA wrote a letter Sept. 10 to leaders of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures voicing its support of a bill that gives tax credit to dentists purchasing PPE to protect patients and staff against COVID-19 transmission.
- The ADA on Nov. 9 joined more than 60 organizations urging the FDA to prohibit menthol-flavored tobacco products, as the flavoring increases the number of Americans who make themselves susceptible to smoking-related oral health issues.
More articles on dental:
Customer satisfaction with dental plans took a dip in 2020, JD Power finds
Dental stock prices rise after promising COVID-19 vaccine news
Why Medicaid fraud is so prevalent in US dentistry