The American Dental Association’s annual SmileCon will hold its final event in October. After careful consideration, the ADA has decided to sunset the conference in 2026, according to a statement. While SmileCon received positive feedback from attendees and saw a … Read More
The ADA is commenting on competition in the dental insurance market, applauding the Department of Justice’s renewed focus on competition in health care and offering its perspective on how historically limited competition in dental insurance harms patients and dental professionals. … Read More
The White House’s Make America Healthy Again Commission published its anticipated report on childhood chronic disease May 22. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Feb. 13 to develop the commission, which is tasked with investigating “the root causes of … Read More
Dental leaders across the U.S. are growing more concerned with the accessibility of oral healthcare as federal threats loom. The dental industry has been dealt several blows over the last few weeks regarding funding, research, workforce development and policy. Many … Read More
UnitedHealth Group is asking shareholders to support a $60 million stock option award for its new CEO. In a May 20 letter to shareholders, Christopher Zaetta, UnitedHealth’s chief legal officer, urged shareholders to approve the company’s executive compensation. Institutional Shareholder … Read More
Four years after Governor Greg Abbott and Texas legislators enacted a bill to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMCL), there is plenty of evidence that it has made Texas a less costly place for physicians to operate, translating into … Read More
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey held a roundtable with various representatives in the healthcare industry last week to discuss the impact of possible cuts to Medicaid health insurance by Congress. The roundtable, Moms & Medicaid: How Medicaid Impacts Maternal Care and … Read More
State lawmakers are addressing a number of challenges facing Texans and the state economy, including many that don’t get the media coverage they deserve, such as the worsening dental care crisis. Simply put, Texas does not have enough dentists and … Read More
(Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating UnitedHealth Group for possible Medicare fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. While the exact nature of the criminal allegations are unclear, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the … Read More
exas Senator Ted Cruz has said Republicans will crackdown on “massive fraud” in the Medicaid program. “I think we are going to see significant Medicaid reforms as Congress takes on budget reconciliation and extends the tax cuts,” he told CNBC, … Read More
CMS has issued a proposed rule to close what it describes as a Medicaid tax “loophole” that some states have exploited to increase federal payments while minimizing their state financial contributions. The proposed rule aims to ensure that federal Medicaid … Read More
Washington, D.C. — Lori Paulson came to the Dental Trade Alliance’s Washington Policy Summit for some guidance on how tariffs impact her current business model and how long she may be dealing with the uncertainty of what comes next for … Read More
A new OIG report found that the Center for Medicare &Medicaid Services (CMS) does not have a systematic process to track whether States return certain Medicaid managed care dollars to the Federal Government, when required. This money is owed by … Read More
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voiced his commitment to dental health and discussed his agency’s oral health priorities during a budget hearing with the House Appropriations Committee May 14. RFK Jr. met with committee members to discuss Fiscal Year … Read More
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it is initiating action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market. Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested … Read More
House Republicans unveiled legislation May 11 that would introduce Medicaid work requirements nationwide and stricter eligibility requirements. The 160-page bill, introduced by the House Energy and Commerce Committee as part of a broader budget reconciliation package, aims to reduce federal … Read More
The ADA and nine other dental organizations are urging Congress to reject the administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, the coalition said the budget proposal would cut critical investments in oral … Read More
The ADA is reaffirming its support of community water fluoridation amid reports that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending the practice. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Kennedy, the … Read More
The ADA and nine other dental organizations are urging Congress to reject the administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, the coalition said the budget proposal would cut critical investments in oral … Read More
Dive Brief: Millions of people could lose coverage under potential policy changes to Medicaid under consideration by Republicans in Congress, according to a letter sent to lawmakers this week from the Congressional Budget Office. One option, reducing the federal government’s … Read More
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — With Utah’s first-in-the-nation ban on fluoride in public drinking water set to take effect Wednesday, dentists who treat children and low-income patients say they’re bracing for an increase in tooth decay among the state’s most … Read More
The ADA signed on to a coalition letter expressing concern for the Trump administration’s draft fiscal year 2026 budget for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The letter follows a draft budget proposal outlined by the Office of … Read More
Smiles for Freedom will hold its 10th Anniversary Event on Friday, May 16, at Sala Family Dentistry, providing free dental services to local veterans. The event continues the organization’s mission to honor those who have served by offering essential dental … Read More
Although dentists have grown familiar with the stress of workforce shortages and rising costs, new challenges have emerged this year that have the potential to threaten dentistry and healthcare as a whole. Here are two new issues worrying dentists in … Read More
The American Dental Association is affirming the safety and efficacy of fluoride in recommended amounts and clarifying its recommendations regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste for children in response to a recent statement by the Texas attorney general. In a … Read More
Justin Hinkley: So I know that we are at least 400 dentists short, according to the states latest oral health plan, and that is statewide. Most of that shortage is in the rural parts of the state, so especially up … Read More
The 89th Texas legislative session has brought increased attention to policy solutions addressing the non-medical drivers of health (NMDOH) that shape health outcomes across the state. This shift reflects growing recognition that factors like food, housing, and transportation play a … Read More
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, is pushing for major reforms to the Medicaid program, according to comments he made May 6 at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference, per Fox Business. Dr. Oz told the news outlet that there is … Read More
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced in a Thursday press release that he has a new investigative target: Toothpaste. Specifically, he said his office sent civil investigative demands to toothpaste manufacturers Colgate-Palmolive Company and Proctor & Gamble … Read More
Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent Civil Investigative Demands (“CIDs”) to Colgate-Palmolive Company (“Colgate”) and Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co. (“Proctor & Gamble”)—which advertises and sells “Crest” branded fluoride toothpaste—for marketing toothpaste products to parents and children in ways that … Read More
Five Texas dental homes are proud to announce that they will join parent company, Benevis, a leading dental healthcare and orthodontics delivery organization committed to providing quality care to underserved communities, for its 10th annual Sharing Smiles Day on Sunday, … Read More
AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas Health and Human Services Commission late Wednesday began notifying another 33,529 recipients of state benefits that their private information had been improperly accessed. The latest announcement comes as the state agency continues to investigate a … Read More
Maine saw the largest increase in the average annual wage for dental assistants from 2023 to 2024, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Across the U.S., the average pay for dental assistants increased $1,510 from 2023 to … Read More
The Florida legislature has sent a bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis that would ban water fluoridation in the state. Senate Bill 700, dubbed the “Florida Farm Bill,” aims to support the state’s agriculture and agricultural workers with a number of … Read More
The American Dental Association (ADA) strongly opposes the dangerously irresponsible comments made by Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham about community water fluoridation. “As doctors, we pledge to do no harm. It is gravely irresponsible that a physician who has … Read More
Align Technology has agreed to pay $31 million to settle allegations that it engaged in anticompetitive conduct that drove up the prices of SmileDirectClub aligners. Five notes: 1. In 2021, Align Technology was accused of participating in anticompetitive conduct that … Read More
The Louisiana Senate Committee on Health and Welfare passed a bill that would prohibit fluoride from being added to public drinking water, according to an April 24 report from KLFY. Senate Bill 2 repeals the Louisiana Department of Health’s water … Read More
The American Dental Association has urged Congress to support tax policies that support small businesses and to preserve adult Medicaid dental benefits as lawmakers continue with the budget reconciliation process. ADA President Brett Kessler, DDS, and Interim Executive Director Elizabeth … Read More
News Release Texas Health and Human Services Commission Cecile Erwin YoungHHS Executive Commissioner April 25, 2025 Jennifer Ruffcorn, 512-424-6951 PressOffice@hhs.texas.gov AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission today released data showing that in November 2024, Texas hospitals incurred … Read More
LA GRANGE, Texas (Nexstar) — Right on Highway 77, a few miles from downtown La Grange, sits a hospital that once provided emergency services and orthopedic surgery. Now, the St. Mark’s Medical Center is an empty building with a sign … Read More
