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On Friday, April 23 President Trump signed H.R.266 the “Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act” into law, extending stimulus programs from the CARES Act. The law adds an additional $484 billion to the initial $2.2 trillion CARES package, with most new funds going to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Provider Relief Fund.
On June 25, NADP received a letter from Director of the Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) Randy Pate, in response to NADP’s joint letter to the Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, which urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “provide the option of purchasing dental coverage independent of medical coverage on the federal health insurance Marketplace.” The letter from NADP presented a new perspective on the independent purchase of dental plans on exchanges, bringing to the foreground the needs of kidney and transplant patients, who require dental treatment before and after surgery.
On Aug. 11, the Small Business Administration (SBA) updated the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with further clarity on the inclusion of dental benefits premiums in the definition of “payroll costs.” Inclusion in the definition of payroll costs allows employer dental premium payments using PPP loans to count towards loan forgiveness.
The EDI Work Group continues to promote the use of electronic transactions. During the WorkGroup’s last meeting it was decided to propose and submit a new Remittance Advice Remark Code (RARC) to the X 12 Code Maintenance Committee (CMC).
On the week of Feb. 16 , the House Education and Labor, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce committees held mark-ups for their respective sections of “Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2021” (S. Con. Res. 5), the planned $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. The various House Committee bills were later combined into one package.
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In order to track changes in attitudes, expectations and perceptions associated with the purchase of dental coverage and attitudes toward dental health, NADP is again planning a survey of individuals responsible for the purchase of group dental benefits.
Earlier this month, your NADP Board of Directors and volunteer groups gathered in Dallas for the 2020 NADP Leadership Conference to plan another successful year for the association. To set the tone for the volunteer group meetings, I encouraged attendees to use two elements of Design Thinking utilized by my company when brainstorming: Flare and Focus. When used in discussion, participants “flare” when they look broadly at new ideas, different approaches and solutions. After thinking big with few limitations, participants shift to “focus” and narrow their thinking to address a particular challenge and develop a solution.
As NADP Board Chairman I am privileged to have an in-depth understanding of the inner workings of our association, and I’d like to share some of my unique observations with you.
The Government Relations Workgroup (GRW) this month has approved NADP to submit comments in Maryland and Texas to support bills that ensure dentists’ ability to contract with Dental Support Organizations (DSOs).