3 things you missed in government this week

Dental insurance reform, rural oral health, workforce expansion

“Three Things You Missed in Government This Week” is designed to offer a way to stay informed on the topics of the week. These updates are meant to offer brief details on legislative or regulatory topics to keep dentists engaged and up to date. To explore the ADA’s latest advocacy efforts, more information is available at ADA.org/Advocacy. 

1.    Thirty-seven new dental insurance laws have been enacted in 18 states this year. In most instances, the ADA’s State Public Affairs program provided grants to dental societies that directly supported the advocacy activities leading to the successful passage of these new laws. More than 120 unique legislative proposals were filed, and one proposed law that would have repealed the requirement that insurers pay equal reimbursement to non-network dentists was rejected in Texas — bringing the total number of successes in legislatures to 38 so far.

2.    The ADA expressed support for the federal government’s focus on rural health and urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to recognize state-led strategies that expand the oral health workforce while maintaining high standards of care. ADA leaders highlighted critical access issues in rural areas and offered evidence-based workforce solutions for consideration in future funding rounds.

3.    ADA leaders have voiced support for a recently introduced bill that aims to strengthen the health care pipeline — including dentistry — through new federal grant programs. The Association emphasized that the Health Care Workforce Expansion Act of 2025, which was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has the potential to address persistent dental workforce shortages, especially in underserved areas.