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The Florida Dental Association's Official Electronic Newsletter
Monday, Jan. 9, 2006
In This Issue:
- Dentists’ Day Show to Go On, Despite Lobbyists’ Reform Restrictions
- FDA Partners with UF to Conduct Access-to-Care Study
- It’s Almost Time to Give Kids a Smile
- FDA Past President Gives $1 Million to Dental Education
- Medicare Part D Effective This Month
- Purchase Your Defibrillators Before Deadline!
News Bites Archives
Dentists’ Day Show to Go On, Despite Lobbyists’ Reform Restrictions
In December, the Florida Legislature passed several historical laws, including Lobbyists Reform and Medicaid Reform, among others.
“Lobbyists Reform” is a euphemism for prohibiting anyone representing a special interest from providing anything of value, including food and drink, to a legislator. The bill also contains language requiring aggregate salaries and other expenses associated with lobbying to be reported.
Though several high-profile events at the Capitol are rumored to be cancelled, little is expected to change on the FDA’s grassroots and operational activities agenda. Dentists’ Day on the Hill will continue with a full slate of activities as the FDA celebrates the 10-year anniversary of this event.
Prior to the 2006 legislative session, a joint committee of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate is expected to craft rules about legislators’ conduct regarding the Lobbyists’ Reform law. Such rules may provide a definition of a “safe harbor,” where legislators can mingle with constituents from the district without violating the new law.
Regardless of the outcome of the rulemaking process, the 2006 Dentists’ Day on the Hill provides dentistry with a unique opportunity to show our solidarity. While other groups react hastily to Lobbyists’ Reform, organized dentistry can use it as an opportunity to maintain status as a force to be reckoned with, even in the midst of change. A strong showing of dentists at the Capitol, in the wake of other groups’ cancellations, could send exactly that message.
Now is not the time to hesitate – it is the time to stand up and be noticed!
For more information or to register for Dentists’ Day on the Hill, call the FDA Governmental Affairs Office at (800) 326-0051 or visit the Members Only/Governmental Affairs section of the FDA’s Web site at www.floridadental.org.
FDA Partners with UF to Conduct Access-to-Care Study
The FDA has contracted with the University of Florida’s Florida Survey Research Center to conduct a survey measuring FDA members’ volunteer dental services.
FDA and Research Center staff developed the script and survey questions, which address communications, membership, and access-to-care issues. The survey will be telephone-administered in January, and will include 1,200 respondents.
The Survey Research Center will only call FDA members at home. They will not call them at their practice. If you are one of the FDA’s members who receives a call from the Research Center, please take a few minutes to respond to this extremely important survey.
The survey will include a cross-section of FDA members by component dental association. The FDA will receive the final results of the survey in March.
It’s Almost Time to Give Kids a Smile
Feb. 1 marks the beginning of National Childrens’ Dental Health Month, during which the FDA will observe the third annual Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) event.
GKAS is recognized during Children’s Dental Health Month, a national event celebrated annually in February to educate children, particularly kids from low-income families, about good oral health.
According to the American Dental Association, in 2005, almost 12,000 children in Florida received dental care from more than 1,500 dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and other dental employees.
Many FDA members already have signed on to screen underserved patients during GKAS in 2006, and are prepared to provide patients with an array of services ranging from cleanings and simple extractions to comprehensive follow-up care during February and the following months.
This year, one of the FDA’s goals is to unify participation and publicity for this important event. Dentists who are interested in participating should contact the FDA’s Dental Health Program Specialist, Mary Lyons, at (800) 877-9922, Ext. 180, or mlyons@floridadental.org.
FDA Past President Gives $1 Million to Dental Education
In December, Robert T. Ferris, DDS, PhD, gave a gift of $1 million to the American Dental Association’s national endowment for dental education. The money was split evenly between the Florida Dental Health Foundation’s (FDHF) $40 million-dollar campaign, and the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation (AAPF).
“I really wanted to do my part to encourage my colleagues to join the effort led by the ADA to raise a national endowment for dental education,” Dr. Ferris said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than by gifting my national, state and specialty associations, and ultimately, the American public by advancing the cause of dental education.”
To date, Dr. Ferris’ gift will be among the most significant leadership gifts to the endowment.
The $500,000 endowment to the FDHF could result in scholarships and program enhancement for Florida’s two dental schools, the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UF-CD) and Nova Southeastern College of Dental Medicine; and educational institutions offering dental hygiene, assisting and lab technician training programs.
Medicare Part D Effective This Month
Dentists with Medicare-eligible patients should be prepared to answer questions they may ask about the new prescription drug benefit known as Medicare D.
The program is entirely voluntary, but Medicare recipients should be encouraged to consider obtaining coverage before May 15, 2006, when free enrollment ends. People who enroll after the free-enrollment deadline will be subject to higher premiums. All who enroll began receiving benefits Jan. 1, 2006.
Medicare-eligible patients who inquire about Medicare D should be directed to call Medicare at (800) MEDICARE (633-4227), or TTY (877) 486-2048. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs also offers help to people with questions about Medicare D through its SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) Helpline, which can be reached at (800) 96-ELDER (963-5337).
Purchase Your Defibrillators Before Deadline!
The law requiring Florida dentists to purchase an automatic electronic/external defibrillator soon will be in effect. The law takes effect Feb. 28, 2006, which is the last day of the current biennium and a little more than a month away!
A table containing the FDA-negotiated discount rates can be found at http:/ /www.floridadental.org/pro/members/resources/defribillator/aed.pdf.