G ove r n men t Re lat ions
PDA’s Advocacy Goals shifted in the new year to 29 Republicans and 21 Democrats.
2019-2020 Legislative Session The Republican majority in the state House has shrunk from
121-82 to the current configuration of 110 Republicans and 93
Democrats in Harrisburg.
PDA is the premier dental organization at the forefront of
legislative initiatives to improve the dental practice environment
in Pennsylvania for both dentists and patients. The legislative
session, which commenced in January 2019, allows PDA two
years in which to advocate on members’ behalf for important
insurance reforms, scope of practice and access to care initiatives:
Goal #1: Assignment of benefits
Goal #2: Student loan forgiveness for dentists willing to
practice in designated health care practitioner
shortage areas.
Goal #3: Increased funding in the Medical Assistance
program for dental providers.
While PDA takes a focused approach in limiting its primary
advocacy efforts to these three issues, we will monitor and
address these additional issues on an as-needed basis:
• Maintaining funding for Dental Lifeline Network’s Donated
Dental Services program.
• Prescription drug prescribing authority, abuse and patient
monitoring.
• Ensuing patients’ well-being and safety by limiting or
restricting the unsupervised practice of non-dentists.
• All other workforce and scope of practice issues.
• Supporting programs and policies aimed at improving oral
health.
• All insurance issues, such as balance billing, coordination of
benefits and credentialing.
• All dental licensing issues.
• Improving patients’ ability to access quality dental care.
2018 General Election Recap
The November 2018 election has come and gone. On the
upside you are no longer receiving daily, and numerous, political
mailings, or seeing 35 campaign commercials a day. At least
until this spring’s primary.
In the previous Congress, the Pennsylvania Congressional
delegation had been comprised of 6 Democrats and 12
Republicans. Following the election, in January the make-up for
the 116th United States Congress has shifted to an even split
(9-9). Four women have joined the delegation.
One of the factors in November’s outcome was that 31
incumbents retired, sought higher office or were defeated in
primaries.
Democrats added five seats in the State Senate and 11 in the
House. Most are from the southeastern Philadelphia suburbs.
Overall a total of 22 seats flipped parties and 13 incumbents
who were on the ballot lost their race. The House is in the midst
of massive changes overall in membership and composition.
Altogether, 43 new faces have entered the chamber, or nearly
one fifth of the body – the biggest swing since 50 new members
entered after the pay raise controversy in 2006. Twenty five of
those new House members are in the Democratic Caucus.
TM
“Dentists helping Dentists”
Our company provides a valuable two-sided service by:
n Credentialing and contracting locum tenens dentists
n Matching dental practices with highly qualified practitioners
Ph: 610-216-2899
Fax: 412-235-7200
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Our Pennsylvania state Senate had a split of 34 Republicans and
16 Democrats during the previous two years. The split has
JAN UARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | P EN N SYLVAN IA DEN TAL JOURNAL
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