3 things you missed in government this week
Anticompetitive practices, publishing costs, vaccine recommendations
“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. The ADA submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Economic Council, urging greater scrutiny of state laws the Association said hinder competition in the dental insurance and care sectors and have adverse effects on interstate commerce. The letter was in response to a request for information on state laws that may have significant adverse effects on the national economy or interstate commerce, particularly as they impact small businesses. ADA leaders emphasized the challenges faced by dental professionals, many of whom are small business owners operating under a patchwork of inconsistent state regulations.
2. The ADA is raising concerns about a National Institutes of Health proposal to limit how much grantees can spend on publishing their research in professional journals, warning that certain options under consideration could unintentionally harm scientific integrity, early-career researchers and smaller projects. The Association emphasized its role as a long-standing publisher of peer-reviewed dental research through its flagship journals, the Journal of the American Dental Association and JADA Foundational Science, both of which publish some federally funded research.
3. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, appointed five new members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention body that makes recommendations on vaccines. At its meeting, the committee initially voted to discourage use of the combined MMRV shot for children under 4 while still keeping it covered under the Vaccines for Children program, but confusion over the wording of the vote led members to reconsider. Friday morning, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reversed course and voted to remove Vaccines for Children coverage for MMRV entirely.
