The American Dental Association pledged its support for the reauthorization of the Promoting Access to Treatments and Increasing Extremely Needed Transparency Act.
The PATIENT Act being reauthorized by Congress would extend the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, which is set to expire Sept. 30. Funds would be increased by $50 million every two years through 2029 to support and expand the program, according to a June 13 news release from the ADA.
The program funds dental residency programs and trains dentists to work in underserved areas, providing Medicaid and uninsured patients greater access to dental care through federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics and tribal health centers.
Scholarship and loan repayment programs would also be extended through the National Health Service Corps. The program also helps attract dentists to rural and underserved areas, the release said.