ADHA COVID-19 UPDATES

President Trump signed into law March 18, HR 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. We wanted to take a moment to provide some explanation of how this potentially affects employees, including the dental hygiene community.

Importantly, businesses with fewer than 50 employees can qualify for a narrow exemption if the Department of Labor determines that providing these benefits would jeopardize the viability of the business. Further, the Department of Labor has the authority to issue regulations exempting health care workers and emergency responders from the paid sick and family leave provisions.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recommendations on elective surgery and procedures issued March 18, are particularly strong in their recommendation on dental procedures. Indeed, dental is singled out for particular emphasis. The CMS recommendations caution that:

“Dental procedures use PPE and have one of the highest risks of transmission due to the close proximity of the healthcare provider to the patient. To reduce the risk of spread and to preserve PPE, we are recommending that all non-essential dental exams and procedures be postponed until further notice.”

Another prong of the multi-faceted ADHA effort on behalf of its members will include exploring the inclusion of language in one of the future coronavirus relief bills that employees who are unable to work because they provide services that the government has recommended be “postponed until further notice” be compensated for the time they are unable to work. In addition, anticipating the efforts of organized dentistry, even before HR 6201 was enacted, ADHA President Crespin wrote to the President, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate Majority Leader urging that “dental hygienists are not prevented from receiving needed coronavirus-related employee benefits solely because they work in the health care field or because they often work on a part time basis or in a small office setting.”

ADHA is indeed at work on behalf of its members during this national public health and economic crisis. We will continue to share information with the dental hygiene community as it becomes available.

ADHA President Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, sent a letter to President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader McConnell to encourage the federal government to consider dental hygienists and other oral health care providers as they develop targeted relief measures and employee benefits. The letter further encourage the federal government to “ensure that dental hygienists are not prevented from receiving needed coronavirus-related employee benefits solely because they work in the health care field or because they often work on a part time basis or in a small office setting.”

Matt’s Letter Available Here