ADPAC Accomplishments

“The American Dental Association is one of the most influential trade lobbies in the country…”

– Wall Street Journal Capital Journal, Aug. 24, 2012

• Ensuring that implementation of health care reform maximizes opportunities to improve access while not adversely affecting dental practices and patients.
• Amending a federal regulation to exempt most dentists from being required to sign up with the Medicare program when referring Medicare patients to specialists.
• Opposing 2013 federal funding for the Alternative Dental Health Care Provider Demonstration Projects.
• Fighting to reform ERISA law so patients receive the full value of their dental benefits.
• Working with to pass a McCarran-Ferguson antitrust repeal amendment in the House.
• Supporting extension of the Section 179 business expensing provision.
• Pushing for medical liability reform.
• Encouraging passage of legislation to provide states with financial inducements to reform dental Medicaid programs.
• Fighting anti-fluoridation efforts on Capitol Hill and in the states.
• Supporting House passage of legislation to provide a 20 percent tax cut for small businesses, including dental practices.
• Taking a lead role to repeal the health care reform law’s excise tax on dental and medical devices in the House.
• Leading the fight for House and Senate passage of the Dental Emergency Responder Act.
• Secured passage of legislation to prevent future drug shortages. 
• Protecting the two-star ranking for Army and Air Force Dental Chiefs.
• Promoting the increased funding for the Indian Health Service’s oral health programs.
• Pushing for increased military dental research funds in the DoD spending bill.
• Passing a Senate Resolution to honor the Navy Dental Corps 100th Anniversary.
• Fighting to increase funding in the Senate for general and pediatric dental residency programs, loan repayment initiatives as well as the CDC’s Division of Oral Health. 
• Successfully establishing Senate funding for a new program to reduce ER usage for oral health care.
• Fighting against new conditions for obtaining or renewing a DEA license.
• Defeated legislation that would have weakened the FDA’s authority to regulate tobacco products.  
• Maintaining a dental presence in the development of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research.
• Rallying dentistry to help prevent prescription drug abuse.