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WDA Legislative Day 2011
- WDA Legislative Day
- Overview
- Dental Practice Act changes
- Dental benefits legislation
- Wisconsin doesn't need long-term expense of a second dental school
- A bipartisan agenda for a healthier Wisconsin
- WDA legislative contact
Bipartisanship was the predominant tone at WDA Legislative Day on March 30, 2011 with state leaders of both parties welcomed to the podium, including Gov. Scott Walker, Senate President Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha).
This year’s Legislative Day attendees totaled 278, including dentists, spouses, dental team members, WDA staff and Marquette University School of Dentistry students.
Dr. Steven Stoll (Neenah), WDA president-elect and host of this year’s event, reminded attendees that, “We are here today to focus on Tooth Party issues, demonstrate the unity and strength of the dental profession and build relationships that can help enhance oral health care delivery in the Badger State.”
Click on each photo within the slideshow to read a caption and to download high-res photos on Flickr.
Oral health is critical to overall health and healthy residents have significant, positive economic and social impacts on Wisconsin.
The WDA has made removing barriers and enhancing access to oral health care a top priority and we need policy-makers' support on two non-budget topics to improve and simplify the much-needed dental care to Wisconsin families, including:
1. Dental Practice Act Legislation
Adopts the American Dental Association definition of dentistry for Wisconsin. Also allows dentists to delegate more procedures to dental hygienists and assistants under their supervision, thereby increasing dentists' ability to treat more people while maintaining quality of care.
2. Non-Covered Services Legislation
Prohibits dental plans from setting fees for services not reimbursed by the dental plan.
These measures are part of the WDA's "Healthy Choices" platform, which includes other ideas to expand access to dental care in the Badger State.
A healthy state is attractive to new businesses, jobs and economic growth. Dentists throughout Wisconsin want to help and are committed to working with policy-makers to keep our state moving forward.
Name of bill:
- Definition of Dentistry and Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA) Legislation
Objectives:
- Update the state's definition of dentistry by adopting the ADA definition, which allows for new treatment options and services based on the latest scientific and technological advances.
- Enable delegation of more duties - such as placing sealants, finishing fillings and removing sutures - to Expanded Function Dental Auxiliaries or EFDAs (educated and trained dental hygienists or assistants) under the supervision and direction of a licensed, practicing dentist.
Benefits:
- Allows Wisconsin residents to benefit from the latest oral health advancements.
- Expands the capacity of Wisconsin dental clinics and professionals to efficiently and cost-effectively deliver care to more patients.
- Enhances citizens' ability to access treatment while maintaining a critical link to regular oral health care through a licensed, practicing dentist.
Other facts:
- Dentist would be responsible for all procedures delegated to an EFDA. Dentist must remain on-site, be available to patient throughout procedure and check and verify procedure's successful completion.
- Dentistry Examining Board (DEB) would be authorized to delineate specificate educational and training requirements for EFDA certification.
Current status (as of March 30, 2011):
- Sen. Dan Kapanke is currently in the process of drafting and will soon be circulating for co-sponsorship.
Fiscal impact: $0
Dental benefits legislation
Name of bill:
- Non-Covered Services Legislation
Objectives:
- Prohibit dental benefits companies from setting fees for services and procedures not covered under a patient's plan
Benefits:
- Would simplify Wisconsin patients' access to dental care by allowing treatment decisions to be between the patient and dentist without interference by a third party which has chosen not to cover the service.
- Would provide a fairer business climate for small-business dental practices by allowing the marketplace to determine a reasonable and competitive fee for services outside the scope of a dental benefits plan.
Other facts:
- In many instances, an insurer's allowed fee for a non-covered service does not even cover the hard cost of providing the service.
- WDA shared this draft with Delta Dental to try to alleviate potential concerns they may have before moving forward with drafting.
- Twenty-one states have already passed non-covered services legislation
Current status (as of March 30, 2011):
- Sen. Dan Kapanke is currently in the process of drafting and will soon be circulating for co-sponsorship.
Fiscal impact: $0
A bipartisan agenda for a healthier Wisconsin
The most effective way to help make sure Wisconsin families get the oral health care they need is to make it easier for them to see a dentist or another oral health care professional.
These “Healthy Choices” are at the center of WDA’s mission to reduce barriers to oral health care in Wisconsin:
- Update the Wisconsin Dental Practice Act to help more people obtain care. This law needs to change so trained dental hygienists and assistants can provide more services. Services would be performed at the direction and under the supervision of a licensed, practicing dentist. This would expand access while maintaining a critical link to regular care.
- Emphasize prevention to stop dental problems before they start. Incorporating a preventive education plan into state programs will help people care for themselves and save state funds that would otherwise be used to treat costly dental disease.
- Encourage and provide incentives for new dentists to settle in underserved areas. Innovative and meaningful student loan and grant programs would encourage new dentists to establish practices closer to Wisconsin families in need.
- Remove dental services from the Southeast Wisconsin Medicaid HMO program. The current structure is bureaucratic and reduces available resources for actual care. Converting dental coverage to a “fee for service” system would allow taxpayer dollars to be spent more efficiently and enable more people to receive care.
Wisconsin doesn't need the long-term expense of a second dental school
The WDA and the Marquette University School of Dentistry share the view that the hasty decision to spend limited state funds to subsidize an unaccredited second dental school in northern Wisconsin was short-sighted and will create a negative, long-term financial drain on scarce state resources.
Expanding Marquette’s fully accredited dental school, founded in 1894, will continue to produce the necessary number of high quality dentists at a fraction of the cost.
Mara Brooks
Government Services Director
608-250-3442
mbrooks@wda.org