Government Relations
PADPAC and Grassroots Efforts
We are living in an unprecedented time in Pennsylvania history.
All of schools were closed for the final three months of the
school year. From mid-March through most of May, everyone in
Pennsylvania was at home, the state legislature met remotely,
and dentists who were practicing were doing so purely on an
emergency basis for the better part of two months. Most of our
country was shut down. Even the 24/7/365 casinos in Las Vegas
were vacant!
We are still living in a time of great uncertainty. Uncertainty
creates anxiety. Anxiety creates fear. Fear creates panic and
feelings of hopelessness. In order to prevent this normal but
unproductive progression from overtaking you, just remember
one thing: action drives out fear. We can’t control the world
but we can control our actions and reactions to events we can’t
control.
The best way to predict the future is to work to create it. Once
you start building momentum you will begin to create and
recognize opportunities that help you create the future you want.
Our PADPAC dentists have been very active on your behalf
throughout this entire ordeal. When the state Department of
Health issued an order March 22 banning all dental procedures,
except for those performed in a negative pressure treatment
rooms with N95 masks, PDA sprang into action. As you know
negative pressure treatment rooms are next to non-existent. Such
an edict would have, in practical terms, rendered Pennsylvania
a “no dental treatment zone,” which meant a patient in extremis
would have had to go to the emergency room. That’s the last
place anyone should be during a pandemic.
Thanks to our PDA leadership team, PDA lobbyist Peg Kuskin and
PDA staff we were able to prevail upon the Department of
Health to modify their guidance to a more practical, realistic but
still safe standard of care. This revised standard allowed dentists
to treat patients who needed emergency care. This allowed
Pennsylvanians to access dental care and allowed dentists to do
what they do best, help their patients. The added benefit was
that it kept people who needed to see their dentist out of the
general health care system.
PDA was able to be so effective because PADPAC has been laying
the groundwork by creating and building relationships and
helping members of the General Assembly and their staffs with
any issue we can assist them with. We attend fund raisers and
build relationships with elected and appointed officials. We are a
known entity who can be relied on as a trusted partner to help
solve any problem and positively shape Pennsylvania health and
political policy.
During the COVID-19 crisis, PDA’s continued communication
with the Governor’s administration resulted in a temporary
waiving of regulations and costs to reactivate licenses for
dentists, dental hygienists and EFDAs. The administration also
allowed practitioners who were retired five years or less to return
to help patients with little paperwork. Additionally, teledentistry
became much easier to access.
On the non-clinical side, PDA sent out many substantive, daily
messages via a variety of formats, including our new mobile app,
PDA Go, about all aspects of dental practice and issues of
concern to dentists. The material covered state and federal
business loan programs, student loan abeyance, and all sorts of
important messages to stop misinformation and rumors.
When you join and maintain your membership in PDA and
PADPAC you are investing in yourself, your practice and your
profession. You join a team that works tirelessly for you and your
practice. You have access to knowledgeable staff that solves
problems and provides you with top of the moment content
that you can put to use immediately. Your PDA and PADPAC are
always working for you and always moving your agenda
forward.
Pre-COVID-19
In March PADPAC was scheduled to attend four important fund
raisers. We were also anticipating a vote on HB 564 Assignment
of Benefits (AOB) in mid-March. Our dentists and PDA staff were
focused on a final in-person lobbying effort at the House to get
AOB across the goal line. We even had, thanks to PDA President
Dr. James Tauberg, a number of Pitt Dental students taking time
away from their classes to help lobby for their future profession
and to do their part for their patients and their colleagues.
Unfortunately, we were hit with a double whammy - all fund
raisers were postponed and the Pennsylvania General Assembly
shifted to COVID-19 issues only for the duration of the pandemic,
so our final lobbying and vote never came.
Please keep in mind, and take heart in, that as soon as the
General Assembly is back to handling its normal legislative
agenda we too will be back pushing to get your AOB legislation
passed. A delay is not an ending. We have had to pause for a
little while but we will never stop pursuing your agenda.
MAY/JUNE 2020 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 9