Volume 3, No. 10, October 2014

Delaware State Capitol

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Governor of California Signs Teledentistry Bill into Law • U.S. Supreme Court Set to Hear North Carolina Teeth Whitening Case on October 14 • National Governors Association to Focus on Medicaid Transformation • Governor of Virginia Launches Healthy Virginia Plan • Important Dates for the Health Insurance Marketplace • Governor of California Signs Bill to Protect Patient Premiums • National Governors Association Announces Leadership for Education and Health Committees • DEA Announces Tighter Restrictions on Hydrocodone Combination Products as States Continue Working to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse • State Policy Updates • Reports of Interest • ADEA is Accepting Requests for Advocacy Workshops • ADEA State Advocacy Toolkit • ADEA United States Interactive Legislative Tracking Map • ADEA AGR Twitter Account • ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Harry W. Bruce, Jr. Legislative Fellowship • ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Jack Bresch Student Legislative Internship

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Governor of California Signs Teledentistry Bill into Law

On September 27, Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) signed into law A.B. 1174. The new law adds teledentristy to a list of specialty health care services for which face-to-face contact is not required in order to claim reimbursement from Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. The legislation will take effect on January 1.

According to a bill analyses/fiscal summary of A.B. 1174 by the Senate Appropriations Committee, the intent of the bill is to expand, statewide, components of a pilot program that has allowed allied dental professionals to provide additional functions in community settings as part of a telehealth-enabled dental care team.

The pilot program referenced by the committee is the Virtual Dental Home system, developed almost five years ago by the Pacific Center for Special Care at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. The Center partnered with a number of funding organizations to implement a statewide demonstration project to bring oral health services to underserved populations using the Virtual Dental Home system.1 These populations range from children in Head Start Centers and elementary schools to older or disabled adults in residential care settings or nursing homes throughout California.

In addition, the new law also permanently expands the list of procedures that dental hygienists and certain dental assistants can perform without a dentist being present onsite. For example, the new law authorizes “specified registered dental assistants in extended functions, registered dental hygienists, and registered dental hygienists in alternative practice to determine which radiographs to perform and to place protective restorations,” as further detailed in the text of A.B. 1174.

U.S. Supreme Court Set to Hear North Carolina Teeth Whitening Case on October 14

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled on October 14 to take up a case brought by the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

As you recall, on March 3, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC during its October 2014 term. In this case, the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners is challenging a lower court ruling and an order by the FTC, which said that the board engaged in unfair competition in the market for teeth-whitening services by excluding individuals not licensed to practice dentistry from the market for teeth-whitening services.

According to court documents, beginning in the 1990s, dentists began providing teeth-whitening services in North Carolina. In about 2003, non-dentists also began offering the services, often at a reduced price. The board became aware of the performance of teeth whitening services by persons not licensed to practice dentistry, and also began receiving complaints from dentists. Several consumers suffered from adverse side effects, including bleeding or “chemically burned” gums, after receiving teeth whitening from non-dentists. In addition, consumers complained that the non-licensed

1 The Virtual Dental Home creates a community-based oral health delivery system in which people receive preventive and simple therapeutic services in community settings where they live or receive educational, social or general health services. It utilizes the latest technology to link practitioners in the community with dentists at remote office sites.

ADEA State Update Volume 3, No. 10, October 2014 Page 2 individuals performing services were doing so without gloves or masks, thereby increasing the risk of side effects.

As a result of the board receiving a number of complaints, an investigation was conducted and more than 40 cease-and-desist letters to non-dentist teeth-whitening providers were issued.

The FTC’s original complaint against the board was issued on June 17, 2010, alleging that the board was harming competition by preventing non-dentists from providing teeth-whitening services in North Carolina.

The board appealed, arguing that the FTC overstepped its authority. Specifically, the board argued that it is exempt from the federal antitrust laws under the “state action” doctrine. Under this doctrine, the antitrust laws “do not apply to anticompetitive restraints imposed by the states ‘as an act of government.’”

The board has lost several appeals of the FTC’s decision, including a 2013 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which upheld the right of non-dentists to offer teeth-whitening products and services in the state. Click here to view documents associated with the board’s appeals to the FTC.

Justice Barbara Keenan, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, stated in her concurring opinion, that “the fact that the board is comprised of private dentists elected by other private dentists, along with North Carolina’s lack of active supervision of the board’s activities, leaves us [the court] with little confidence that the state itself, rather than a private consortium of dentists, chose to regulate dental health in this manner at the expense of robust competition for teeth whitening services. Accordingly, the board’s actions are those of a private actor and are not immune from the antitrust laws under the state action doctrine.”

The question before the U.S. Supreme Court is whether, for purposes of the state-action exemption from federal antitrust law, an official state regulatory board created by state law may properly be treated as a “private” actor simply because, pursuant to state law, a majority of the board’s members are also market participants who are elected to their official positions by other market participants.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in this case could significantly impact how states regulate varied fields – from dentistry to health care to law.

National Governors Association to Focus on Medicaid Transformation

The National Governors Association (NGA) announced that Alabama, Nevada and Washington will participate in a year-long project to examine ways to spur changes in how states pay for Medicaid and other health care services.

Participating states will work with experts within the NGA Center for Best Practices, other national experts and peers to identify ways to accelerate the pace of statewide Medicaid reforms. They will examine financing issues, stakeholder relations, data analytics, quality reporting, performance metrics and evaluation, the role of managed care and workforce development.

The project will culminate in individual “agreements in concept” tailored to the specific needs of each participating state and designed to help states reach successful agreements with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agreements in concept could take the form of waivers, state plan amendments, performance partnerships or other mutually agreed-upon arrangements between a state and the federal government and include the following core elements:

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• The potential for systemic payment and delivery reform across a state focused on improving health outcomes, improving the delivery of care and lowering health care costs; • Shared risk between states and the federal government including, for example, the ability for states to benefit from the savings generated in Medicaid, Medicare or other federal programs; and • A comprehensive quality and accountability strategy.

“Governors are uniquely situated to look across their entire health systems to create solutions that span both the public and private markets,” said Gov. Robert Bentley (R-AL). “Through collaborative efforts among state agencies, communities, stakeholders, payers and providers, governors can steer action towards a common vision of a transformed health care system for a state.”

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Medicaid is overwhelming state budgets. In 2012, the states’ share of the joint state-federal program accounted for an average of 15% of state general funds. Additionally, 10 states—California, Colorado, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia—made mid-year revisions to close 2012 Medicaid budget gaps.

Governor of Virginia Launches Healthy Virginia Plan

On September 8, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) announced his 10-step plan to expand health care services to over 200,000 Virginians. Following the Virginia General Assembly’s failure, during legislative and special sessions, to pass legislation expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, Gov. McAuliffe is optimistic that this plan will move health care forward in the Commonwealth. The 10-step plan, called A Healthy Virginia, is briefly outlined below.

Step 1: Covering people with serious mental illness. The Governor will launch the Governor’s Access Plan, or GAP, which will provide medical and behavioral health care to approximately 20,000 uninsured Virginians with severe mental illness.

Step 2: Improve the coordination of care for adults and children who are already covered by Medicaid and have a serious mental illness. The Governor is authorizing the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to issue regulations to establish health homes for individuals with severe mental illness.2

Steps 3 and 4: Sign up more Virginians for the Federal Marketplace, Medicaid, and FAMIS.3 The Governor will leverage federal and state resources to help enroll an additional 35,000 children in FAMIS and 160,000 people in the federal marketplace for health insurance.

Step 5: Open up FAMIS for eligible state workers to insure their children. The Governor is directing DMAS to issue an emergency regulation making FAMIS available to the children of lower-income state workers.

Step 6: Provide dental benefits to pregnant women in Medicaid and FAMIS. The Governor is directing DMAS to issue emergency regulations to provide comprehensive dental coverage to 45,000 pregnant women in Medicaid and FAMIS. According to the 10-step plan, “Adding dental coverage for pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid or FAMIS MOMS will reduce the

2 These health homes are not physical spaces, but instead are a model of care in which all of an individual’s primary, acute, behavioral and long-term care services are coordinated and integrated. 3 FAMIS is Virginia's health insurance program for children.

ADEA State Update Volume 3, No. 10, October 2014 Page 4 prevalence of preterm birth, cut down on emergency dental expenditures and decrease the state’s cost of dental care for children.”

The plan notes that currently, “Virginia has 45,000 pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid and FAMIS MOMS. Without access to comprehensive dental care, these women risk having dental health issues go undiagnosed and untreated, needlessly putting their unborn babies in jeopardy. Pregnant women with periodontal disease may be up to eight times more likely to deliver prematurely.”

Step 7: Launch an innovative new website to inform Virginians of their coverage options and help them enroll. To make it easier to apply for coverage, a new and improved Cover Virginia website will be launched by this November.

Step 8: Accelerating access to quality health care for our veterans. Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel and Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John Harvey will lead Virginia's efforts to take full advantage of legislation signed by President Obama that made $10 billion in federal money available to veterans to seek health care outside the VA system if they have barriers to access.

Step 9: Take bold actions to reduce deaths from prescription drug and heroin abuse. Last year, more Virginians died of overdose than were killed in car accidents. The prescription drug problem has reached a crisis in Virginia, where some county death rates are the highest in the entire nation.

Step 10: Aggressively pursue Federal grants that can bring new dollars into Virginia for health care. The Governor has directed his staff to pursue every federal grant currently available for health care and innovation.

Important Dates for the Health Insurance Marketplace

Generally, individuals and families may buy marketplace health insurance only during the annual open enrollment period. Following are key dates for the health insurance marketplace:

• November 15, 2014: 2015 open enrollment starts • December 31, 2014: Coverage ends for 2014 marketplace plans • February 15, 2015: 2015 open enrollment ends

To buy marketplace insurance outside open enrollment, an individual must qualify for a special enrollment period due to a qualifying life event such as marriage, birth or adoption of a child, or loss of other health coverage.

The benefit year ends December 31, 2014 for individuals enrolled in a 2014 marketplace plan. To continue health coverage in 2015, individuals can renew their current health plans or choose new health plans through the marketplace during the 2015 open enrollment period.

Individuals who do not have health coverage during 2015 may have to pay a fee. The fee in 2015 is higher than it was in 2014—2% of an individual’s income or $325 per adult/$162.50 per child, whichever is more.

During open enrollment, if a person enrolls:

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• Between the first and 15th days of the month, his or her coverage starts the first day of the next month. • Between the 16th and the last day of the month, his or her coverage starts the first day of the second following month. For example, if a person enrolls on March 16, his or her coverage starts on May 1.

To learn more about key dates for the health insurance marketplace click here.

Governor of California Signs Bill to Protect Patient Premiums

On September 25, Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) signed AB 1962 into law. AB 1962, authored by Assembly Member Nancy Skinner (D-CA), establishes standardized requirements for dental plans to disclose how they spend patient premium dollars and puts the state on a path to establish a minimum percentage of premium dollars that must be spent on patient care.

Under current state law and the federal Affordable Care Act, all medical plans must spend at least 80% of patient premiums directly on patient care as opposed to insurance company profits and overhead, a standard known as a medical loss ratio (MLR). However, no minimum standard exists for dental plans.

“AB 1962 lets consumers know how their premiums for dental insurance are spent,” said Assembly Member Skinner. “With health care costs continuing to rise, consumers deserve all the information they can get.”

According to the California Dental Association, 15 million Californians are enrolled in private dental plans.

Under the new law, all California dental plans will have to report the necessary financial data to the state Department of Managed Health Care and Department of Insurance by September 30, 2015, and by September 30 of each subsequent year.

In addition, the new law declares the intent of the Legislature that the data reported be considered by the Legislature in adopting a MLR standard for health care service plans and specialized health insurance policies that cover dental services that would take effect no later than January 1, 2018.

National Governors Association Announces Leadership for Education and Health Committees

The National Governors Association (NGA) announced the new leadership of NGA’s five standing committees for the 2014–2015 year. NGA Chair Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and NGA Vice Chair Gov. Gary Herbert (R-UT) made the following appointments:

• Education and Workforce Committee o Gov. Brian Sandoval (R-NV), Chair o Gov. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Vice Chair

• Health and Human Services Committee o Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL), Chair o Gov. Bill Haslam (R-TN), Vice Chair

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The names of the chairs and vice chairs for the Economic Development and Commerce Committee, the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, and the Natural Resources Committee were also released.

DEA Announces Tighter Restrictions on Hydrocodone Combination Products as States Continue Working to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse

On August 22, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that hydrocodone combination products (HCPs), which include opioids such as Vicodin, Lorcet, Lortab and Norco, will be reclassified as Schedule II substances and subject to tighter restrictions. HCPs had previously been classified as products under the less-restrictive Schedule III. The reclassification took effect October 6.

Under the new rule, dentists with a DEA registration that does not include Schedule II authority will have to change it to continue prescribing/refilling certain pain-relieving medications for their patients. The DEA is permitting HCP prescriptions issued before October 6 to be refilled until April 8, 2015, if the prescription authorizes refills. Although telephone and faxed prescriptions for Schedule II drugs are generally not permitted, a prescriber may call in a prescription in emergency situations only.

“Almost seven million Americans abuse controlled-substance prescription medications, including opioid painkillers, resulting in more deaths from prescription drug overdoses than auto accidents,” said DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart. “These products are some of the most addictive and potentially dangerous prescription medications available.”

Numerous states are also looking to reduce prescription drug abuse, overdose and misuse, and have enacted different types of legislation to address this increasingly important public health issue. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), in 2014, 34 states introduced legislation related to reducing prescription drug abuse.

On September 26, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) signed Executive Order 29 establishing the Governor’s Task Force on Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse. The task force will recommend immediate steps to address a growing and dangerous epidemic of prescription opioid and heroin abuse in the Commonwealth. The order asks the task force to suggest strategies that will raise public awareness about the dangers of misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, train health care providers on best practices for pain management, identify treatment options and alternatives to incarceration for people with addiction, and promote the safe storage and disposal of prescription drugs.

Additionally, the National Governors Association (NGA) has committed to focusing its resources over the next year to reduce prescription drug abuse. On July 28, the NGA announced the selection of four additional states (Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Wisconsin) to participate in a policy academy regarding the reduction of prescription drug abuse. These four states will join Nevada and Vermont in developing comprehensive statewide action plans that rely on the use of data and evidence-based strategies for combating this crisis. According to the NGA, the abuse of prescription drugs is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, and is the most common type of drug abuse after marijuana use among teens between the ages of 12 and 17.

State Policy Updates

• California

Legislation allowing California’s community colleges to offer four-year degrees where a demonstrated local workforce need can be shown was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) on

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September 28. S.B 850, sponsored by Sen. Marty Block (D-CA) along with 14 co-sponsors, establishes a pilot program that allows 15 campuses from 15 different community college districts to offer one baccalaureate degree each starting January 1, 2015 and ending in July 1, 2023.4 Programs would begin no later than the 2017–18 academic year.

Community college districts will be able to apply for the 15 pilot programs that train students for high-demand jobs and that do not duplicate existing programs at University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU). The target areas for this new law include dental hygiene, health technology and industrial technology. The California Dental Hygienists’ Association supported S.B. 850.

“This is landmark legislation that is a game changer for California’s higher education system and our workforce preparedness,” Sen. Block said. “S.B. 850 boosts the focus of our community colleges on job training now when California faces a major skills gap in our workforce.”

Currently only the UC and CSU systems may offer public four-year degrees. Sen. Block noted that by 2025, [California] will need one million more adults with four-year degrees. “We need to use all of California’s resources—including our community colleges—to close that gap.” He added that more than 20 states since 1970 already allow community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees.

• Michigan

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 42 states currently prohibit sales of electronic cigarettes or vaping/alternative tobacco products to minors. Michigan’s bill (S.B. 668) to prohibit sales of vaping/alternative tobacco products to minors has passed both chambers, been ordered enrolled and has been pending signature by the governor since June.

Reports of Interest

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report examining use of selected clinical preventive services in the United States, including a focus on the provision of dental services and preventive dental services starting in early childhood. The report found that millions of infants, children and adolescents have not benefitted from key clinical preventive services, and that there are large disparities by demographics, geography and health care coverage and access in the use of these services. According to the report, in 2009 more than half (56%) of children and adolescents did not visit the dentist during the preceding year, and 86% of children and adolescents did not receive a dental sealant or a topical fluoride application during the preceding year. The report also noted that the prevalence of untreated decay in primary or permanent teeth among children from lower-income households is more than twice that of children from higher-income households. Additionally, the findings indicated that children with private dental insurance were more likely to have a dental visit during the past year and to have received preventive dental services than were children without private dental insurance. • The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report finding that in approving Arkansas’s Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration for Medicaid expansion via the Private Option, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gave the state the authority

4 Prior to Sen. Block’s election to the California State Legislature, he served as president of the Board of Trustees of the San Diego Community College District and as a Professor and Administrator at San Diego State University.

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to test whether providing premium assistance to purchase private coverage offered on the health insurance exchange would improve access to care for individuals newly eligible for Medicaid as a result of the Affordable Care Act.5 Specifically, under the demonstration, HHS approved Arkansas to receive federal Medicaid funds to purchase private coverage offered on the health insurance exchange for individuals newly eligible for Medicaid and required the state to pay directly for any services covered under its traditional Medicaid program that are not covered by exchange plans. The GAO further found that in approving the demonstration, HHS did not ensure that the demonstration would be budget-neutral—that is, that the federal government would spend no more under the state’s demonstration than it would have spent without the demonstration. • The State of New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee issued a report finding that increasing the number of students who graduate from high school annually by 2,600 would result in an estimated $700 million in net benefits to tax payers, society and these students over their lifetimes. Evaluation findings suggest promising initiatives, such as an “early warning system” to identify and help potential dropouts, are being implemented inconsistently across the state or not at all. Efforts are not targeted in schools and school districts where dropouts tend to be concentrated. Though the state’s four-year graduation has increased since FY08, New Mexico’s dropout rate has increased as well. Each ninth grade class loses roughly 7,700 students who fail to graduate in four years, and in FY13 nearly 7,200 students dropped out of the state’s public school system. The report goes on to recommend that the New Mexico Legislature create a financial incentive in the public school funding formula that rewards schools that graduate more high school students and schools that graduate more students who do not need remedial classes in college.

ADEA is Accepting Requests for Advocacy Workshops

ADEA’s Advocacy and Governmental Relations portfolio (AGR) is offering its ADEA Advocacy Workshop series to ADEA members. AGR’s staff of advocacy professionals (who have worked in state legislatures and the U.S. Congress) will travel to your institution to present information on how to become an effective advocate for academic dentistry and dental and craniofacial research. The AGR team will provide workshop attendees with the skills and tactics to help them successfully gain the support of elected officials on the state or federal levels. The material is suitable for faculty, staff and students.

AGR staff can work with participating institutions to customize an agenda that best reflects the priorities and goals of a school. The length of a workshop can vary from an extended lunch hour (about two hours) to either a half or full day and includes the participation of both local and state elected officials, as well as leaders of the region’s professional and dental societies.

To learn more or to request an ADEA Advocacy Workshop, please contact Daniel Nugent, J.D., ADEA Director of Outreach and Advocacy at [email protected].

ADEA State Advocacy Toolkit

ADEA has developed a State Advocacy Toolkit, enabling ADEA members to more effectively advocate for dental education and dental and craniofacial research.

The importance of being an advocate for academic dentistry and dental and craniofacial research cannot be overstated. Getting involved is crucial—programs and funding that affect you and your

5 This approved demonstration, for the state of Arkansas, is the first of its kind testing the use of premium assistance in purchasing exchange coverage for a state’s entire Medicaid expansion population.

ADEA State Update Volume 3, No. 10, October 2014 Page 9 institution are at stake. As leaders in the field of oral health care and dental and craniofacial research, you can help shape policy and impact funding that will affect your institution.

There are numerous points in the legislative process at which you can provide input. It is a fact that most legislators know very little about oral health care in general or about the connection of good oral health to good systemic health. Furthermore, they probably know very little about cutting-edge dental and craniofacial research, which has enabled doctors to detect certain cancers. As experts in the field, be it at the allied, predoctoral, doctoral or advanced dental education level, your input is invaluable and carries a lot of weight in the legislative process. By establishing yourself as a resource for information and establishing a relationship, you are improving your access to the policymaker. Keep in mind, as issues that affect you come before legislators, it is much easier to have the ear of a friend than a stranger!

ADEA developed this state advocacy toolkit to better equip you to become an advocate. Resources have been assembled to provide you with information so you can effectively interface with your state legislators about funding and programs that affect you and your institution. The toolkit contains information such as:

• An overview of state legislatures (composition, meeting frequency, etc.); • How a bill becomes law; • How to identify your state legislator; • How to effectively communicate with state legislators; and • Tips on hosting a site visit at your institution for a state legislator.

Additionally, users will have valuable local data at their fingertips as they advocate for dental education and dental and craniofacial research. The toolkit provides data such as Title VII funding organized by grantee and NIDCR grants organized by institution. Additionally, information on state student loan repayment programs and alternative workforce models is available.

Finally, there is also a link to the ethics and lobby laws for each state.

We trust you will make good use of the advocacy toolkit. As President John F. Kennedy stated, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”

ADEA United States Interactive Legislative Tracking Map

Introduced in 2013, the ADEA United States Interactive Legislative Tracking Map provides access to the most up-to-date information on state legislation of interest to academic dentistry. Users can view the current status of bills, including upcoming hearing dates, as well as current bill text and bill author/sponsor information. Additionally, the interactive map features a dropdown menu, allowing even easier access to critical state legislation.

Map users can quickly monitor high-interest topics, such as student loan repayment programs, higher education funding, alternative workforce models, teledentistry, interprofessional education, tobacco regulations, children’s dental benefits under CHIP/Medicaid and adult dental benefits under Medicaid. By using the dropdown menu, users can view relevant legislation in a list format or as an interactive infographic of a U.S. map, with states that have pending legislation related to the selected topic highlighted in blue. This feature provides users with an instant visual landscape of the topics in which states and regions of the country are interested, especially hot-button issues.

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The map is a helpful tool not only for those in the dental education community, but also for state legislative directors, Medicaid directors, dental directors, policy analysts and national organizations with an interest in oral health care.

ADEA AGR Twitter Account

For additional information on issues affecting academic dentistry and dental and craniofacial research in Congress, federal agencies and state legislatures, please follow ADEA Advocacy and Government Relations on Twitter at ADEAAGR; there is much to “tweet” about.

ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Harry W. Bruce, Jr. Legislative Fellowship

Dental school faculty members or administrators who want to interface with members of Congress on issues of importance to oral health are encouraged to apply for the ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Harry W. Bruce, Jr. Legislative Fellowship. The fellow selected spends three months in Washington, D.C., working on issues and policies that could make a difference in the life of every American. This public policy fellowship coincides with congressional consideration of the federal budget and other legislative and regulatory activities important to dental education and research. The fellow functions as an ADEA Policy Center staff member who works within the AGR portfolio on ADEA’s specific legislative priorities.

The fellow’s responsibilities may include drafting policy, legislative language, position papers and testimony; educating members of Congress and other decision makers on matters of importance to dental education; and participating in gatherings of various national coalitions. The fellow receives a taxable stipend of $15,000 to cover travel and expenses for approximately three months (cumulative) in Washington, D.C. (ADEA is flexible in the arrangement of time away from the fellow’s institution). The fellow’s institution continues to provide salary support for the duration of the experience. Since its inception in 1985, the ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Harry W. Bruce, Jr. Legislative Fellowship has been generously underwritten by Sunstar Americas, Inc. Interested candidates should apply as soon as possible.

ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Jack Bresch Student Legislative Internship

The ADEA/Sunstar Americas, Inc./Jack Bresch Student Legislative Internship is a six-week, stipend-supported internship in the Advocacy and Governmental Relations portfolio of the ADEA Policy Center (ADEA AGR) in Washington, D.C. This student legislative internship provides a unique learning experience for predoctoral, allied and advanced dental students, residents, and fellows. It is designed to encourage students to learn about and eventually—as dental professionals—to become involved in the federal legislative process and the formulation of public policy as it relates to academic dentistry. It is open to any predoctoral, allied or advanced dental student, resident or fellow who is interested in learning about and contributing to the formulation of federal public policy with regard to dental education, dental research and the oral health of the nation. Funded through the generous support of Sunstar Americas, Inc., the student intern will be a member of the ADEA AGR staff and will participate in congressional meetings on Capitol Hill, coalition meetings and policy discussions among the ADEA Legislative Advisory Committee (ADEA LAC) and ADEA AGR staff.

An applicant must be a full-time predoctoral, allied or advanced dental student, resident or fellow whose institution is willing to work with the student to identify an appropriate time, consisting of six weeks, during the school year to pursue the internship. For additional information, please email Yvonne Knight, J.D., ADEA Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Governmental Relations, at [email protected]. Applications are accepted on a year-round basis, and can be found here.

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The ADEA Policy Center publishes the ADEA State Update monthly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of state issues and events of interest to the academic dental and research communities.

© American Dental Education Association 1400 K Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005 Telephone: 202-289-7201, Website: www.ADEA.org

Yvonne Knight, J.D. ADEA Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Governmental Relations ([email protected])

Jennifer Thompson Brown, J.D. ADEA Director of State Relations ([email protected])

Timothy Leeth, C.P.A. ADEA Senior Director for Federal Relations ([email protected])

Daniel Nugent, J.D. ADEA Director of Outreach & Advocacy ([email protected])

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