Fee capping legislation continues to move forward. Three bills dealing with fee capping were sent to the governor in their respective states, including South Dakota (SB 108), Virginia (SB 622), and Washington (HB 2686). Other states were also busy trying to get bills against fee capping passed. Idaho HB 538 passed both Houses this week, with the help of over 40 e-mails from ID AGD members. Iowa HF 2229 passed the Senate, but with an amendment, so it has to go to the House for concurrence. A blast e-mal was sent to IA AGD members to encourage representatives to concur with the amendment and get the bill to the governor. A blast e-mail for Michigan  AGD was sent to encourage the members to attend the state dental association’s day at the capitol reception on March 23. A big turnout is needed so legislators can see that dentists are concerned about fee capping and other issues.

Three Tennessee AGD leaders, Richard W. Dycus, DDS, MAGD, William R. Thompson, DDS, MAGD, and Leon E. Stanislav, DDS, FAGD, spent time at the beginning of March with the TN AGD lobbyist and the Tennessee dental association lobbyists going over strategy and bills that face them this session. Issues they are concerned about include fighting a definition change in the dental hygiene statute; fighting a change in CE requirement for dental hygiene; and passing an Adult Indigent Care bill. They are fighting to get a bill to stop fee capping passed and TN AGD introduced a bill on coronal polishing bill to allow dental assistants to take the exam concurrent with their course instead of a separate board exam is supported by all parties including Board of Dentistry.

A new rule adopted in Iowa will change sedation requirements, beginning in April. The newly adopted rules clarify the different levels of sedation and when a dentist must hold a sedation permit. They also require that a dentist utilizing moderate sedation on pediatric or American Society of Anesthesiologists category 3 or 4 patients must have completed additional postgraduate training approved by the Board. The new rules go into effect on April 14, 2010.

After learning from dental students at the University of Maryland that scholarship money may come under the legislative budget knife, MD AGD members sprung into action. Letters were sent from AGD President Dr. David Halpern (and MD AGD member!) to the four legislative leaders, asking them to keep the scholarship money available. A letter was also sent to the dean of the dental school asking him to work with AGD to keep the scholarships. Finally, an action alert was created for all MD AGD members to contact their senators and representatives, urging them to keep the scholarships during the budget negotiations.

Also in Maryland, Dr. Charles Doring, president of MD AGD, testified before the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee to oppose Senate Bill 631. This bill would require dentists to speak to their patients about the use of amalgam and alternatives, and would mark the first time in the state a dentist would be mandated on what to say to patients. The bill remains in committee at this time.