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TIME SENSITIVE: Please join NADP in reaching out to U.S. representatives and senators and asking them to cosponsor House Bill 3463 and Senate Bill 3244, the “Aligning Children’s Dental Coverage Act.”

As we complete the first half of the year, I think it’s a great time to evaluate our progress as an organization and the value of membership. One quick way to realize the impact of NADP membership is to read the recently published 2015 Annual Report, which showcases just how NADP connects members not only to each other but to lawmakers and industry stakeholders. It also highlights the many association resources, tools and programs designed to help our members succeed.

Representing the dental benefits industry on a variety of standards-setting organizations, NADP is making sure the multitude of behind-the-scenes transactions driving business continue to work seamlessly now and in the future.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a 6-month delay in implementation of the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule (CMS-9115-F). The rule, which would require Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) dental plans to develop provider registry and patient data APIs will not be enforced until July 1, 2021.

On Friday, June 12, the HHS Office of Civil Rights finalized “Nondiscrimination in Health and Health Education Programs or Activities: Delegation of Authority” (RIN 0945-AA11) which permanently repeals tagline requirements under section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, effective August 18, 2020.

This month’s column will be my last as your NADP Board Chair. Because I believe in the advancement of leadership and this organization, I want to spend my final year on the board to help develop new leaders. My term as your NADP Board Chair has been extremely rewarding, and it is an experience I will always treasure. Before I go, I want to share some highlights from the past few years and key transitions in place.

CONVERGE has reached new heights of excellence as evidenced by the growth in attendance and attendees’ feedback. Virtual CONVERGE 2020 opened the door for more participation from our member companies resulting in more than 700 attendees. In addition, the average rating for educational content was 92%!

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on NADP’s state-level advocacy in 2020. In response to the pandemic, NADP created tracking resources to follow topics like insurance grace periods, telemedicine initiatives, filing requirements, special enrollment periods, and state re-opening guidelines.

On Jan. 28, Sen. Cardin (D-MD) and Rep. Barragan (D-CA-44) introduced S.97/H.R.502, the Medicare Dental Benefit Act. This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental and oral health services, including routine diagnostic and preventive services, basic and major dental services, and emergency care; dental prostheses are also covered.

On Friday, May 21, Rep. Clarke (D-NY) introduced the “Dental and Optometric Care Access Act of 2021” (“DOC Access” Act) H.R. 3461. The bill was cosponsored by Reps. Carter (R-GA),…

With CONVERGE less than a month away, I’m using this month’s column to highlight several aspects of the conference, including the move to a completely virtual format for 2021.