Victories
Legislative
Through the years, PDA has used dentists’ collective voice in the legislative arena to accomplish great things:
PASSED
Act 58 of 2024: Legislation requiring insurers to provide other payment options besides virtual credit cards and notification to dentists on options and instructions on how to obtain associated fees, and allowing dentists to opt into the payment option that works best for them.
Act 42 of 2024: Legislation defining telehealth services and requiring insurers to cover services provided via telehealth, so long as standards of care are met.
Act 34 of 2023: Legislation appropriating $ 12 million for a one-time payment to Medicaid dentists on claims from calendar year 2022 that include 31 dental codes, and another $ 12 million( with a $ 26 million federal match) to increase fees for those 31 codes in 2025.
Act 159 of 2022: Legislation allowing dentists and dental team members to apply three hours of pro bono service to their continuing education requirement with the State Board of Dentistry every renewal cycle.
Act 146 of 2016: Legislation limiting the time frame in which insurers may retroactively review and deny dental claims to 24 months.
Act 7 of 2014: Legislation allowing out-of-state dentists to apply for temporary licenses so that they may volunteer at charitable events or assist during states of emergency.
Act 186 of 2012: Legislation prohibiting insurers from capping fees for dental services which are not covered in a patient’ s plan.
Act 94 of 2012: Legislation requiring insurers to cover the cost of general anesthesia when needed to treat patients of any age with special needs or children seven years of age or younger.
Act 19 of 2010: Legislation that expands the scope of practice for expanded function dental assistants to include some hygiene functions performed under dentists’ direct supervision.
AMENDED
Act 74 of 2024: Legislation prohibiting restrictive covenants was amended to apply to medical professionals only, so that dentistry was not included in provisions intended to resolve issues in medicine.
Act 65 of 2012: Legislation requiring dentists to carry malpractice insurance by including an exemption for dentists with volunteer licenses and those who practice in community-based settings.
DEFEATED
Line item in state budget that would have required dentists to submit proof of having paid taxes before renewing their dental license, threatening their livelihood if the state made mistakes processing this information.
REINSTATED
Funding in the state budget for Dental Lifeline Network’ s Donated Dental Services program.
TRANSFORMED
Act 160 of 1994: The dental profession by convincing the legislature to legitimize the practice of expanded function dental assistants, increasing dental office productivity.