Dear Colleagues,

Last week I wrote to you about meeting with your federal lawmakers regarding health care reform. Knowing how busy we all are at the end of the summer, I thought it wise to remind you of this request. Accordingly, I am resending the text of that message below. I'm also including a document that you might find useful; it's a side-by-side comparison of provisions in the health reform bills that would affect dentistry, including the ADA's position on them. And if you've already spoken with your lawmaker, I thank you for your efforts.

We are also using our CapWiz grassroots alert system to ensure that our most politically active colleagues reach out to key lawmakers.

And while we're on the topic, we've learned that a press release entitled, "ADA's Position on Health Care Reform" is being distributed via email by the Americans for Democratic Action. If you receive this email, please don't be confused. It was not sent by the American Dental Association, nor does it reflect our organization's stance on health care reform.

While the ADA does not support any health care reform proposal currently under consideration on Capitol Hill, each having flaws that must be addressed, we remain engaged in the process to ensure that dentistry's perspective is included. While we have heard from some members who have suggested that we stay out of the fray, that is simply not an option; even if the ADA were to remain silent, lawmakers and other groups would still be pushing for oral health provisions in health care reform proposals, meaning Congress would be making decisions on dental provisions without our input.

With Congress leaving for its August recess, this is a good time to report on developments and to ask for your help in delivering our messages on this important issue while your lawmakers are back home.

As you know from previous reports, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has already approved a version of health care reform, but the Senate Finance Committee has yet to produce a companion measure. The Finance Committee is striving to create a bipartisan bill, and those efforts aren't expected to be completed until sometime in September. 

Most recently, the House Energy & Commerce Committee approved its portion of a thousand-page bill largely along party lines. The House Education & Labor and Ways & Means committees have already approved their portions. While ADA staff is still reviewing the numerous changes made by the Energy & Commerce Committee, we can report on some modifications that have moved the bill in a more sensible direction, including:

• Fees for the public option plan—the government-operated insurance plan—will be closer to market rates (the government is required to establish a rate using Medicare as the floor and the average qualified health benefit plan rate as the ceiling); however, the ADA strongly believes that more needs to be done to ensure true market rates are used.
  
  
• New measures were established to pressure states to fund Medicaid properly; states will be required to submit a report annually to the federal government on how they are meeting current Medicaid payment requirements, including whether Medicaid payments are sufficient to enlist enough providers. This report will give constituent dental societies and the ADA a platform to highlight shortcomings in the dental Medicaid program with policymakers. States will be required to include stakeholders (such as state dental societies) in preparing their yearly reports.
  
  
• Doubling from $250,000 to $500,000 the payroll amount ceiling that would have to be exceeded before a small employer would be required to provide health insurance coverage for employees and dependents; this means that employers with an annual payroll below $500,000 would not be required to contribute toward their employees' coverage.

Of course, there is much work left to be done, and we have a number of sound suggestions for improving these bills. For example, the ADA continues to seek adoption of an amendment that provides enhanced federal matching funds for the dental Medicaid programs in states that elect to adopt needed reforms. It would be a mistake if Congress passed health care reform but did nothing to improve the plight of those millions of low-income Americans who qualify for dental care under Medicaid but who can't access care due to severe underfunding of the program.

In addition, we continue to seek important consumer protections (such as prohibiting caps on non-covered services) that would apply to all health plans, including stand-alone dental plans, and repeal of the McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption, which would serve to boost competition in the health care marketplace.

Clearly, Congress also has much work to do before a bill can be sent to the President. Accordingly, the ADA needs you to get involved and to communicate with your lawmakers over the August recess. We need your help in pressing for additional changes in the House and Senate bills that are of importance to both dentists and patients.

Please click on the following link to use our CapWiz alert system to deliver a message to your Representative and Senators. You will find talking points there to assist you in crafting your message.

As always, I thank you for your efforts on behalf of our profession and the public.