An advocacy campaign led by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) successfully garnered broad bipartisan political support within Congress to improve access to oral health care primarily for children served by the Medicaid program and for people with disabilities. 

In late 2022, CMS approved a new HCPCS code (G0330) for dental rehabilitation in hospital outpatient settings (see previous postings on the AAPD website under Latest Advocacy News for more background). To assist AAPD members better understand G0330, its impact, and the additional advocacy required, a Tool Kit has been developed in collaboration with the ADA and AAOMS.

Download the AAPD 2023's Legislative and Regulatory Priorities as developed by the AAPD Council on Government Affairs and approved by the AAPD's board of trustees. 

As reported on November 2, 2022, a major win for operating room access for dental cases was obtained with CMS approval of a new HCPCS code (G0330) for dental rehabilitation. To assist AAPD members with your understanding of this new code, the immediate impact, and additional local advocacy required, we have provided a FAQ (1st edition) developed by AAPD, ADA, and AAOMS.

After a strong advocacy campaign spearheaded by AAPD with the ADA, AAOMS and the disability community, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has agreed to establish a new dental billing and payment arrangement to improve access for hospital dental operating room cases requiring care under general anesthesia.

The AAPD joined a letter from the Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) asking the U.S. Senate to take action this year to pass the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA). This legislation (S. 754/H.R. 1916) would require all private group and individual health plans to cover the full medically necessary treatment of patients with congenital anomalies, including related dental procedures.

AAPD-ADA-AAOMS have been working together in a concerted advocacy campaign to address the challenges pediatric dentists and other dentists around the country are experiencing in obtaining or maintaining hospital or ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operating room time for dental cases requiring care under general anesthesia.

The AAPD is pleased that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded nine (9) new FY 2022 grants under the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFRLP), totaling $657,655. 

One of the key advocacy requests made by participants in the 2022 AAPD Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. during their visits to Congressional offices was to support FY 2023 funding of $14 million for Title VII Pediatric Dentistry.

The AAPD continues its advocacy campaign to address the challenges pediatric dentists around the country are experiencing in obtaining or maintaining hospital or ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operating room time for dental cases requiring care under general anesthesia.

Download the AAPD’s 2022 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities as developed by the AAPD Council on Government Affairs and approved by the AAPD’s board of trustees.

The AAPD is pleased that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded nine new program grants for the Title VII Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP). Thanks to AAPD advocacy efforts to obtain fiscal year (FY) 2021 federal funding for the Title VII oral health programs, a total of $944,779 was awarded for these new grants. 

Dental Medicaid rates have been boosted in Minnesota, Mississippi and Wisconsin. The Public Policy advocates from the three states elaborate on what that means. 

The AAPD is delighted that board certified pediatric dentist and AAPD member Dr. Natalia Chalmers has been appointed Chief Dental Officer (CDO) at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act The AAPD spearheaded a letter from the Organized Dentistry Coalition (which includes ADA and ADEA among others) in support of  legislation that would allow full-time educators participating in the HRSA Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program to exclude from their federal income taxes the amount of the loan forgiveness received from this program.

There was positive news from the United State House of Representatives concerning FY 2022 appropriations legislation related to Labor-Health and Human Services- Education. On July 12, 2021 the Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Committee approved the legislation, followed by approval of the full Appropriations Committee on July 15, 2021 by a 33-25 vote.

This white paper provides a concise overview of ambulatory surgery center options for pediatric dentists, developed for the AAPD by the law/consulting firm of Powers, Plyes, Sutter, and Verville. Ownership and leasing options are discussed.

One of the key advocacy requests made by participants in the 2021 AAPD Virtual Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy week during their online visits to Congressional offices was to support FY 2022 funding of $14 million for Title VII Pediatric Dentistry.

On March 1-5, 2021, over 400 AAPD members from 41 states plus D.C. advocated for children’s oral health by conducting virtual/online visits with their members of Congress and Congressional staff.

Download the AAPD’s 2021 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities as developed by the AAPD Council on Government Affairs and approved by the AAPD’s board of trustees.

Congress passed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill on Dec. 21, 2020, which includes $284 billion for a new round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The bipartisan relief package was part of a $2.3 trillion spending bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, that funds the government through Sept. 30, 2021.The President signed the bill on December 27, 2020.

A long-time legislative priority of the ADA and the AAPD was achieved on December 22, 2020 when the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption for health insurance companies by passing HR 1418, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act. The House previously passed the bill on September 21, 2020. The President signed the bill into law on January 13, 2021.

The AAPD is aware that many pediatric dentists around the country have been experiencing difficulty in obtaining or maintaining hospital operating room time for dental cases requiring care under general anesthesia. 

The AAPD is pleased that our appropriations and report language priorities fared well in the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee report related to federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 funding for Labor-HHS-Education, House Report 116-450, that was approved by the subcommittee and full committee and released on July 15, 2020. 

The AAPD is pleased that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded 27 Title VII FY 2020 grants to enhance postdoctoral dental residency training programs in rural communities. Title VII funding is the AAPD’s top federal appropriations priority.

The AAPD and the Organized Dentistry Coalition (of which AAPD is a founding member) support the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (H.R. 7010) which was recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives by a 417-1 vote. The bill extends the ability to use the Small Business Administration (SBA) loans from 8 weeks to 24 weeks and changes the deadline for rehiring workers to June 30.

One of the key advocacy requests made by attendees at the 2020 AAPD Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference during their visits to Congressional offices was to support FY 2021 funding of $12 million for Title VII Pediatric Dentistry. This amount includes funding for the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program. During visits, House Members were asked to sign onto a Dear Colleague letter circulated by Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26th). Click on Continue Reading for a copy of the letter, signed by 62 House members.

Download the AAPD’s 2020 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities as developed by the AAPD Council on Government Affairs and approved by the AAPD’s board of trustees. 

Congress passed two legislative spending bills on December 19, 2019 totaling $1.4 trillion to keep the government running through the remainder of fiscal year 2020. The bills include funding for the AAPD’s key appropriations issue.

The AAPD, ADA, NSPD and NDA are troubled by the growing number of Medicaid pediatric dental audits in Nebraska that are harming children’s access to oral care, the organizations told the state’s Medicaid agency in a Nov. 6, 2019 letter.

The AAPD, ADA, and AGD (Academy of General Dentistry) wrote the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to comment on their proposed rule CMS-2406-P2, entitled Medicaid Program; Methods for Assuring Access to Covered Medicaid Services-Rescission.

The AAPD and ADA wrote the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) urging them not to replace the measure of Dental Sealants for Children Between 6-9 Years. This measure is utilized in HRSA’s oversight of its community health centers program. HRSA had requested public comment on a proposal to replace this measure with one titled Primary Caries Prevention Intervention as Offered by Primary Care Providers (CMS74v9).

Download the AAPD’s 2019 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities as developed by the AAPD Council on Government Affairs and approved by the AAPD’s board of trustees. 

One of the key advocacy requests made by attendees at the 2019 AAPD Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference during their visits to Congressional offices was to support FY 2020 funding of $12 million for Title VII Pediatric Dentistry. This amount includes funding for the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program. As a follow-up to visits, House Members were asked to sign onto a Dear Colleague letter circulated by Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26th). Click here for a copy of the letter, signed by 40 House members.

One of the AAPD’s top legislative priorities is to make Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP) awards non-taxable to recipients.

On Nov. 27, 2018 Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) co-introduced S. 10, legislation that would exclude from gross income certain federally subsidized dental faculty loan repayment awards under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act. 

The conference FY 2019 appropriations bill that contains an excellent funding level of $12 million for pediatric dentistry training and support for dental faculty loan repayment with a preference for pediatric dental faculty – as reported in the previous E-News—has cleared Congress and was signed into law by the President on Sept. 28, 2018.

On June 19, 2018, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y. 9th), Congressman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho 2nd) and Congressman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz. 4th) introduced H.R. 6149, legislation that would exclude from gross income certain federally subsidized dental faculty loan repayment awards under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act. 

Download the AAPD’s 2018 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities as developed by the AAPD Council on Government Affairs and approved by the AAPD’s board of trustees.

In late 2017 the AAPD along with the ADA and the Organized Dentistry Coalition wrote a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting appointment of a new Chief Dental Officer (CDO) and also to prioritize oral health services in a manner equal to medical services. 

The AAPD is pleased that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded 13 grants to dental education institutions to enhance clinical predoctoral dental and dental hygiene training focusing on children ages 0-5 to improve the oral health of vulnerable, underserved, and rural pediatric populations.

On September 13, 2017, the AAPD and ADA wrote the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee in support of reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The current CHIP authorization expires on Sept. 30, 2017. 

The AAPD is pleased that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded 10 dental schools or pediatric dental residency programs grants for faculty loan repayment.

On July 19, 2017, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2018 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill by a 28-22 vote.

The U.S. Senate released its healthcare reform proposal on June 22, 2017. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has been advocating to Congress since the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to improve provisions in that law to enhance children’s oral health coverage.

Details have just been released about a final FY 2017 omnibus budget bill to fund federal programs through the remainder of the fiscal year. Since Oct. 1, 2016, the federal government has been funded via several Continuing Resolutions at the FY 2016 level.

Download the AAPD’s 2017 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities as developed by the AAPD Council on Government Affairs and approved by the AAPD’s board of trustees.

As reported in the May 2015 PDT, based on a significant challenge posed by a Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) in Nebraska that impacted all Medicaid participating dentists in the state , the Nebraska Society of Pediatric Dentistry and the Nebraska Dental Association (NDA) pursued RAC Audit reform legislation. 

Based on the AAPD’s success in obtaining directed funding of $10 million for pediatric dentistry training in the fiscal year (FY) 2015 federal budget, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently awarded a number of new postdoctoral and predoctoral grants to support training of pediatric dentists and to better train general dentists in treating children. 

Almost a decade after the original lawsuit was filed and three years after the trial was completed, U.S. District Court Judge Adalberto Jordan has ruled that the Florida Medicaid program violates federal law. 

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program was extended to Medicaid. The RAC program allows private contractors to demand patient records and conduct audits on providers while retaining a percentage of any refunds collected.

The Treasury Department and IRS released on July 8, 2016 proposed regulations relating to premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. This included a rule clarifying the inclusion of subsidies for stand-alone pediatric dental plans, as part of the premium tax credit, for plans purchased in a Health Insurance Exchange.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Dental Association (ADA) sent a letter to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, urging the Center to require states to make the 2017 essential health benefit benchmark plans more transparent in regards to pediatric dental benefits.

On Dec. 18, 2013, the AAPD and the ADA filed joint comments with CMS concerning their proposed rule on benefit and payment parameters for 2015 as they apply to stand-alone dental plan (SADP) coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

On Nov. 25, 2013, the AAPD and the ADA filed comments with CMS concerning their proposed rule on Basic Health Programs (BHPs).  Such programs are an option for states beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, to cover individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid but whose income does not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level. 

Pediatric oral health is defined under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) as an essential health benefit.  Health insurers in the individual and small group markets, inside or outside of state health insurance exchanges, must offer qualified health plans that cover ten categories of essential health benefits.

On August 3, 2012 the AAPD and ADA submitted comments in response to May 16, 2012 guidance issued by the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) regarding federally-facilitated exchanges (FFE). 

The AAPD and the Organized Dentistry Coalition, along with over 700 other organizations, sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2012 urging a repeal of the medical device tax contained in the Affordable Care Act.

The AAPD, the American Dental Association, and other members of the Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) commented to the federal Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) on Jan. 31, 2012, in response to draft guidance from this agency on essential health benefits (EHB).