View this email in your browser [ [link removed] ] .

American Dental Education Association

Volume 2, No. 49, April 12, 2022

Federal Student Loan Pause Extended Until Aug. 31
 
The Biden administration announced [ [link removed] ] that it was extending the student loan repayment pause until Aug. 31, 2022. The most recent pause was slated to end at the end of April. The move will mark the seventh extension since the pause took effect in March 2020.
 
In response to the student loan pause extension, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) thanked the President but called on him to extend the student loan payment pause until 2023 [ [link removed] ] . During the pause, Murray would like for the federal government to fix its administration of the student loan payment system, which borrowers often find confusing and instructions misleading.
 
U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other congressional members also continue to push the White House to cancel $50,000 [ [link removed] ] of federal student loan debt for each borrower. The federal government holds over 90% of all student loan debt in the United States.

U.S. Department of Education Extends Deadline for HEERF Funds Use
 
The U.S. Department of Education issued a notice [ [link removed] ] giving Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grantees with a balance greater than $1,000 until June 30, 2023 to use the remainder of their grant. Grantees originally had until June 30, 2022, to spend the remainder of their funds.
 
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) [ [link removed] ] . The ARP appropriated approximately $39.6 billion for HEERF, which represents the third stream of funding appropriated for HEERF to support institutions of higher education for the purpose of preventing, preparing for and responding to the coronavirus. (The first two HEERF funding streams were allocated during the Trump administration.)
 
HEERF requires institutions to use half of the funding they receive to provide direct relief to students. The remainder of the funding can be used by public and private, nonprofit institutions for institutional costs, such as loss revenue, payroll, training and a variety of other uses. However, all the funding that proprietary, for-profit institutions receive can only be used for student financial aid.
 
Though money from HEERF was not allowed to be awarded to undocumented and international students during the Trump administration, under the Biden administration HEERF money could be awarded to undocumented and international students if the students were enrolled at the institution “on or after the date the national emergency was declared for COVID-19” in addition to other need-based requirements.

Update on Adult Medicaid Dental Coverage
 
While the federal government requires states to provide dental coverage for children, coverage for adults is optional [ [link removed] ] . A handful of state legislatures have taken steps this year to implement coverage or increase the level of coverage offered in their states.
 
The Maryland General Assembly has sent legislation [ [link removed] ] to Gov. Larry Hogan (R) that would require the state’s Medicaid program to provide dental coverage to adult enrollees. Specifically, the bill requires Medicaid to cover diagnostic, preventive, restorative and periodontal services to all adults whose annual income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty level.
 
A similar proposal [ [link removed] ] is actively being considered as part of the Gov. Bill Lee’s budget plan in Tennessee. This proposal could also include up to $94 million in funding for the state’s two dental schools to help expand class sizes and forgive tuition for students who work in high needs areas. If both Tennessee and Maryland implement coverage, Alabama would remain the only state that provides no coverage for adults.
 
New Hampshire is considering two bills that would increase coverage for adults enrolled in Medicaid. Currently, the state only provides emergency coverage, but if either bill is signed into law, the state would contract with dental managed care organizations to provide coverage for additional services. HB 103 [ [link removed] ] has passed the state’s House of Representatives, and SB 422 [ [link removed] ] has passed the state’s Senate. New Hampshire has debated the addition [ [link removed] ] of an adult benefit for several years, but concerns over funding have prevented implementation.
 
Finally, Hawaii is considering the restoration of funding [ [link removed] ] that would reinstate dental benefits that were cut 13 years ago. Hawaii currently limits dental coverage to emergencies, but if signed into law and if the state receives the maximum federal matching funds available, the state’s Medicaid program would cover diagnostic, preventive and restorative services.

Maryland Exempts Oral Hygiene Products From Sales Tax
 
On April 1, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) signed legislation [ [link removed] ] that would exempt oral hygiene products from the state’s sales and use tax. Specifically, the bill exempts state sales and use taxes being applied to the sales of toothbrushes, toothpaste, tooth powders, mouthwash, dental floss or other similar oral hygiene products.

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] ]
 • 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 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] ]

twitter
[link removed]

Unsubscribe
[link removed]

Subscribe
[link removed][0]&p_colname=p_last_nm&p_varname=p_val_arr[1]&p_colname=p_alias&p_varname=p_val_arr[2]&p_colname=p_login_id&p_varname=p_val_arr[3]&p_colname=p_passwd&p_context=NEWSLETTER&p_success_url=censsaindprofile.section_update%3Fp_profile_ty%3DINDIVIDUAL_PROFILE%26p_skip_confirm_fl%3DY%26p_section_nm%3DNewsletters%26p_format%3D110%26p_msg_txt%3D%26p_cust_id%3D%26p_referrer%3Dadeacenssalandingpage.display_page%3Fp_context%3DNEWSLETTER

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] ]

Powered by Higher Logic [link removed]