Five bills have recently been introduced to Congress that would impact dental practices, insurers and student loans.
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1. The Main Street Tax Certainty Act of 2023 would make the 20 percent tax deduction for small and family-owned businesses permanent. The tax deduction, which is currently set to expire at the end of 2025, helps small businesses continue to grow and provide jobs to the communities they are in.
2. The American Dental Association voiced its support for the Dental and Optometric Care Access Act. The legislation would stop dental insurers from setting the fees in-network dentists are able to charge for dental care services not covered by the insurer. It would also limit contract extensions between insurers and dentists to a two-year maximum and preserve dentists' freedom to choose their dental laboratories.
3. U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Roger Wicker reintroduced the Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act to Congress June 22. The bill would eliminate certain loan assistance benefits from counting as taxable income and aims to increase the number of dental and dental hygiene faculty in the workforce by helping training programs attract and retain faculty through loan forgiveness.
4. A group of legislators introduced a bill that would create a dental care pilot program for veterans with chronic conditions. The Improving Whole Health for Veterans with Chronic Conditions Act would establish the four-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide comprehensive dental treatment to veterans diagnosed with diabetes and ischemic heart disease.
5. The Dental Care for Our Troops Act was introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives on June 20. The act would get rid of copays and premiums for all National Guardsmen and Reservists through the Tricare Dental Program.