G ove r n men t Re lat ions
oral cavity, but that many parents and guardians will be given
the impression that their children received comprehensive oral
health care in physicians’ offices.
On September 15, the State Board of Dentistry (SBOD) voted
6-4 to proceed with regulations expanding Public Health
Dental Hygiene Practitioner (PHDHP) practice site locations to
include child care settings, physician offices, and residences of
homebound and hospice patients. PDA opposed the
regulations over concerns about patient safety and the need to
ensure that patients receive comprehensive diagnoses and
treatment from dentists. Log on to the Advocacy section of
PDA’s website for a summary of the SBOD’s discussion and vote
on the regulations.
Prior to the SBOD meeting, PDA’s lobbyist and staff met with
staff for the House Professional Licensure Committee (HPLC) to
discuss concerns about expanding practice locations for
PHDHPs. The HPLC, along with the Governor’s Policy Office and
Independent Review Commission (IRRC), are tasked with
reviewing licensing boards’ regulations, and they play an
instrumental role before regulations are finalized and enacted.
HPLC staff took note of PDA’s concerns about the PHDHP referral
process with dentists and the need for dentists to exam and
diagnose patients. PDA will continue to lobby HPLC members
and staff, as well as the SBOD, Governor’s Policy Office and
IRRC as the regulations move through the regulatory process.
It may take two or more years before regulations are enacted,
so PDA will use every opportunity to amend the draft, with
particular attention paid to the referral process, scope of practice
in these settings, the role of physicians and liability. PDA’s
Government Relations Committee and Access to Oral Health
Advisory Group will also review the adequacy of current
educational and training requirements for PHDHPs to determine
whether additional requirements are needed to ensure patient
safety and appropriate standards of care.
Please contact PDA’s government relations staff at
(800) 223-0016, or mss@padental.org, with any questions
or concerns
PDA Presents Prestigious Kay F. Thompson Outstanding Legislator Award
In October, PDA presented Rep. Karen Boback
(R-Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wyoming) with our
Kay F. Thompson Outstanding Legislator award at
the state Capitol in Harrisburg. Rep. Boback is a
champion of dental issues, having sponsored
legislation that limits the time frame insurance
companies may retroactively review and deny
dental claims to 24 months. This legislation was
enacted in 2016.
Pictured left to right: Peg Kuskin, PDA lobbyist; Rep. Karen Boback,
and Dr. William Spruill, PDA Past President.
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NOV E M B E R/DE CE M BER 2017 | P EN N S YLVA N IA D EN TA L J O UR NAL
Most recently, Rep. Boback became the primary
sponsor of PDA’s legislation to provide more
funding for dentists who apply to the state’s
Primary Care Loan Repayment Program. This
program reimburses dentists a percentage of their
school loans in exchange for practicing in
designated health professional shortage areas.
The current program reimburses dentists up to
$100,000. Rep. Boback’s legislation would increase
funding for dentists up to $200,000.