PADPAC ’ s Goal for 2011
$ 200,000
On behalf of PDA ’ s Board of Trustees , PADPAC ’ s District Coordinators and the PADPAC Board , we would like to announce a new fundraising goal for 2011 : $ 200,000 .
2011 is an important year for us , as we have many legislative and political goals on the horizon . Those goals include :
• Fighting to prohibit insurers from capping non-covered services
• Requiring insurers to assign benefits to non-participating providers
• Limiting the timeframe in which insurers may retroactively deny dental claims , and
• Requiring insurers to provide better coverage , such as the cost of general anesthesia administered to at-risk patients in need of dental care .
By contributing to PADPAC , you will ultimately influence those legislative initiatives in our favor . Your contributions will provide PDA with access to legislators who have the ability to influence bills on our behalf . Suffice it to say , politics consists of three variables : people , issues and money . And while today we are living in an economy where many of us are struggling to get by , it is imperative that we utilize our resources carefully and choose paths that lead to a greater good . Choose the path to success — contribute to PADPAC .
Every day , the insurance companies and others who wish to tilt a hand in their favor are out lobbying against the dental profession . It is important to realize this and maximize our efforts to defeat those companies . Your contribution to PADPAC helps to neutralize the opposition . Because in the political realm , money talks . The more our legislators see how committed you are to your profession , the more they will listen .
Over the years , we have accomplished many of our goals because of your willingness to contribute . We killed legislation at the state level that would impact the use of dental amalgam as a viable restorative option . We stopped the legislature from passing a bill prohibiting dentists from administering general anesthesia and deep sedation in their offices , and defeated legislation requiring dentists to report information to an Internet database comparing fees for dental services and treatment .
And just recently , we passed legislation amending the dental law to expand the scope of practice for expanded function dental assistants and added an EFDA to the State Board of Dentistry .
Let ’ s make 2011 a success . Start by contributing to PADPAC today !
November / December 2010 • Pennsylvania Dental Journal
31