March 22, 2010
The big news to start this week is the passage of a federal healthcare reform bill. On Sunday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve legislation to remake the nation’s healthcare system. The House approved the Senate’s version of healthcare reform on a 219-212 vote. The bill now goes to President Obama for signature.
For a quick synopsis of the bill’s main provisions, click here. The majority of the bill’s provisions do not take effect until 2014 and, accordingly, there may be substantial adaptations prior.
In regard to dental provisions, the American Dental Association (ADA) opposed this legislation on the grounds that the bill did not properly address or fund Medicaid dental services. The bill failed to provide basic adult dental benefits under the Medicaid program, and to address inadequate provider reimbursement and disruptive administrative barriers. Further, the ADA had concerns with pilot programs involving mid-level provider models and with restrictions on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) that many Americans use to help pay for dental care. Click here to view a letter the ADA sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last Friday opposing the bill.
The ADA acknowledged that there were several worthwhile provisions in the bill related to dentistry, including funding increases for public health, school-based programs, FQHCs, and dental loan repayment, as well as oral health education initiatives. The bill will also expand dental coverage for children. Ultimately, however, the ADA felt that the bill did not provide access to adequate oral health services for many low-income Americans and, for that reason, opposed the bill.
The ADA is expected to publish a more detailed Q&A document the bill provisions and their activities related to the bill shortly. We will make the information available to our members once it has been released.
