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American Dental Education Association

Volume 2, No. 40, February 1, 2022

Record Enrollment Through Fed and State Government’s Health Insurance Marketplaces
 
Approximately 14.5 million Americans signed up for health insurance [ [link removed] ] through the health care marketplaces during the federal government’s open enrollment period, which ended on Jan. 15. Of that 14.5 million, 5.8 million were new enrollees. The record-breaking 14.5 million Americans exceeded the previous enrollment record by 2 million people.
 
Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services released a report showing that the uninsured rate fell in 2021 to 8.9% for the third quarter of 2021, down from 10.3% for the last quarter of 2020. The decrease in the uninsured rate represents an increase in enrollment in 2021 for not only adults, but also children.
 
The increased enrollment is attributed to the significant increase in marketplace subsidies provided in the American Rescue Plan, which became law in early 2021. As a result, marketplace consumers saw their average monthly premium fall by 23%, compared to the 2021 enrollment period.

ADEA, Other Organizations to Hold Webinar on the New Temporary PSLF Waiver
 
ADEA, in partnership with the PSLF Coalition, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and Equal Justice Works, will hold a webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 2, regarding the Department of Education’s (ED) recent announcement of a temporary waiver for potential beneficiaries of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
 
For a limited time, ED will allow borrowers to receive credit toward loan forgiveness under the PSLF Program for loan payments that otherwise would not qualify towards the number of payments needed to earn forgiveness.
 
The webinar will give an overview of the waiver and which types of loans and loan payments will now qualify, explain what borrowers need to do to prove employment and earn credit for past periods of repayment and share helpful resources. Please register for the Feb. 2 webinar online [ [link removed] ] . NOTE: Only the Feb. 2 webinar is geared towards health care providers.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Harvard and UNC Cases Challenging Affirmative Action in Admissions
 
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) that challenge the use of affirmative action in college admissions. Specifically, these cases challenge long-standing Supreme Court precedent that allows race to be used as one factor in a wide range of factors when making admission decisions. The Court agreed to hear the cases in its next term, which begins in October 2022. A decision is not expected until the Court’s Spring 2023 term.
 
In the Harvard case, the university is accused of discriminating against Asian Americans by denying them admissions to Harvard based on their race. In the UNC case, the plaintiff asserts that the school discriminated against both Asian Americans and White Americans by denying them admissions based on their races. Both cases were brought by the group Students for Fair Admissions. Lower courts ruled in favor of the universities, noting that they had appropriately considered race in their admissions processes.
 
Whatever the Court’s decision is, it will apply to both private and public universities. The decision also holds the possibility of gutting affirmative action efforts in higher education.

Maryland Bill Would Add Dental Benefits for Adults on Medicaid
 
Proposed legislation [ [link removed] ] that was recently filed in Maryland would add a dental benefit [ [link removed] ] for adults enrolled in Medicaid. While Maryland currently provides dental coverage for a limited number of dual eligible adults under a pilot program [ [link removed] ] , it is one of only three states that provides no coverage [ [link removed] ] for other adult enrollees. While the bill does not outline specific procedures that must be covered, it does mandate the state program to provide “comprehensive dental care” to an adult whose income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty level.

Massachusetts Ballot Initiative Would Establish Medical Loss Ratio and Review of Rates for Dental Insurers
 
In November, voters in Massachusetts [ [link removed] ] will decide if dental insurers should be subject to a medical loss ratio, and if their rates should be subject to state approval. If approved, the ballot measure [ [link removed](2022) ] would require dental insurers to spend at least 83% of their revenue on “dental expenses and quality improvements, as opposed to administrative expenses.” Additionally, proposed rates would have to be reviewed and approved by the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Insurance.

ADEA Advocacy in Action
This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.
 
Issues and Resources
 • Provider Relief Fund Reporting portal [ [link removed] ]
 • HRSA New Funding Opportunity [ [link removed] ]
 • ADEA memo [ [link removed] ] regarding vaccines at the state level
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

ADEA State Calendar [ [link removed] ]

ADEA Washington Calendar [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [link removed] ]

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

Key State Issues [ [link removed] ]

The ADEA Advocate [ [link removed] ] is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.
 
©2021
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
202-289-7201, adea.org [ [link removed] ]

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Brian Robinson
ADEA Program Manager for Advocacy and Government Relations
 
[email protected] [ [link removed] ]

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