ADA urges Congress to strengthen dental coverage, workforce support in House committee letter

The ADA is calling on Congress to strengthen Medicare Advantage transparency, address dental workforce shortages and expand dental coverage options in a Feb. 25 letter to the House Ways and Means Committee. 

In the letter, submitted following the committee’s "Modernizing American Health Care: Creating Healthy Options and Better Incentives" hearing, ADA leaders emphasized that oral health is a vital component of overall health and that supporting these efforts would help improve access to care and lead to better health outcomes. 

“We appreciate the committee’s focus on these goals and welcome the opportunity to provide input on how oral health can be better integrated into these efforts,” reads the letter to Reps. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, and Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., signed by ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., and Interim Executive Director Elizabeth Shapiro, D.D.S., J.D. 

Medicare Advantage transparency 

The ADA is calling for stronger transparency measures in Medicare Advantage marketing, as only 8.4% of Medicare Advantage plans offer a supplemental dental benefit that would be considered a “comprehensive dental benefit,” the letter notes. “The ADA believes more up-front transparency about the structure and limitations of these supplemental dental benefits can help consumers make more informed choices,” the letter reads. 

Addressing workforce shortages 

The ADA is urging federal support to explore solutions and investments to address ongoing workforce shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities. To ensure a robust oral health infrastructure that fosters greater access to care, Drs. Kessler and Shapiro wrote, the ADA supports initiatives such as exempting both the dental faculty loan repayment program and the Indian Health Service loan repayment and scholarship programs from taxable income. 

Expanding coverage options 

The ADA encourages policies that ensure the Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement — which empowers employers to support employees’ dental needs — can be effectively utilized for in-office dental plans so employees can allocate funds toward direct payment arrangements with their dentist. 

To maximize Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement’s impact on dental coverage, the ADA urges policymakers to explicitly allow these funds to be used for in-office dental membership plans, increasing affordability and access to routine care. 

Enhancing health savings and flexible spending account flexibility 

The ADA urged passage of H.R. 1219, a bill that would allow health savings account and flexible spending account reimbursement eligibility for over-the-counter oral health care products.

“Essential oral health products should be treated as necessary health care expenses, not taxable discretionary items,” the letter reads. 

The ADA said it remains committed to working with lawmakers to advance these reforms and ensure oral health remains a central part of health care policy discussions. 

“We urge the committee to take action on these critical oral health priorities, which will enhance transparency, improve workforce sustainability, and expand access to care,” the letter concludes.