MDHA Action Alert – IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED

Posted on by mdha

The Massachusetts State Legislature just began the start of its new two-year session. MDHA is prioritizing four pieces of legislation for the 2023-2024 session:

  1. An Act to improve oral health for all Massachusetts residents (HD111/SD747)
  2. An Act relative to the sustainability of public health dental hygienists through adequate reimbursements (HD1127/SD653)
  3. An Act relative to dental hygienists (HD1814/SD1594)
  4. An Act enabling trained dental hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox(HD3952/SD2062)

We Need Your Help!

We want to ensure that as many Senators and Representatives as possible sign on to these bills as co-sponsors.

Please call or email your State Senator and State Representative TODAY!

You can find out who your state representative is by going to www.wheredoivotema.com, by calling (800) 462-VOTE, or by contacting our government affairs consultant Kate Worrall via email at [email protected].

Emailing your State Senator:

  1. Email your State Representative or State Senator in the Massachusetts legislature (listed on as www.wheredoivotema.com as “State Senate”). Click on the lawmaker’s name and it will take you to a page that has their email listed.
  2. Template Email:

TO: [SENATOR EMAIL]
SUBJECT: Requesting your cosponsorship of important oral healthcare priorities

Dear Senator [LAST NAME],

Thank you for your leadership during these unprecedented and constantly changing times. My name is [FULL NAME] and I live at [YOUR ADDRESS]. I am emailing you today on behalf of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association (MDHA). As a Registered Dental Hygienist, and your constituent, I am asking you to co-sponsor four pieces of legislation that are important to me and my profession.

  • An Act to improve oral health for all Massachusetts residents (SD747). This legislation was refiled this session by Senator Adam Gomez (D-Hampden). This bill would create a mid level oral healthcare provider, a Dental Therapist, to provide much needed dental care to underserved populations.
  • An Act relative to the sustainability of public health dental hygienists through adequate reimbursements (SD653). This legislation was filed by Senator Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester) and enables public health dental hygienists (PHDHs) to bill third-party insurance carriers. PHDHs provide services to individuals in settings such as classrooms, senior centers, and nursing homes and are currently restricted to billing MassHealth for services provided. Many of the individuals seeking services have private insurance, and PHDHs are unable to provide services to these individuals or are forced to provide services at no cost.
  • An Act relative to dental hygienists (SD1594). This bill was filed by Senator Michael Moore (D-Worcester) and requires dental hygienists interested in administering nitrous oxide to undergo BORID specified training and then apply for state licensure. It is time Massachusetts joins the 33 states that allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide.
  • An Act enabling trained dental hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox (SD2062). This bill was filed by Senator Julian Cyr (D-Cape/Islands) and enables dental hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox. Dental hygienists already receive a significant amount of training in head and neck anatomy and administer larger injections, and they could safely join dentists and oral surgeons as licensed administrators.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request and please respond here or at [PHONE NUMBER] with any questions.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Emailing your State Representative:

  1. Email your State Representative in the Massachusetts legislature (listed on as www.wheredoivotema.com as “State Representative”). Click on the lawmaker’s name and it will take you to a page that has their email listed.
  2. Template Email:

TO: [REPRESENTATIVE EMAIL]
SUBJECT: Requesting your cosponsorship of important oral healthcare priorities

Dear Representative [LAST NAME],

Thank you for your leadership during these unprecedented and constantly changing times. My name is [FULL NAME] and I live at [YOUR ADDRESS]. I am emailing you today on behalf of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association (MDHA). As a Registered Dental Hygienist, and your constituent, I am asking you to co-sponsor four pieces of legislation that are important to me and my profession.

  1. An Act to improve oral health for all Massachusetts residents (HD111). This legislation was refiled this session by Representative Smitty Pignatelli (D-Lenox). This bill would create a mid level oral healthcare provider, a Dental Therapist, to provide much needed dental care to underserved populations.
  2. An Act relative to the sustainability of public health dental hygienists through adequate reimbursements (HD1127). This legislation was filed by Representative Smitty Pignatelli (D-Lenox) and enables public health dental hygienists (PHDHs) to bill third-party insurance carriers. PHDHs provide services to individuals in settings such as classrooms, senior centers, and nursing homes and are currently restricted to billing MassHealth for services provided. Many of the individuals seeking services have private insurance, and PHDHs are unable to provide services to these individuals or are forced to provide services at no cost.
  3. An Act relative to dental hygienists (HD1814). This bill was filed by Representative Kay Khan (D- Middlesex) and requires dental hygienists interested in administering nitrous oxide to undergo BORID specified training and then apply for state licensure. It is time Massachusetts joins the 33 states that allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide.
  4. An Act enabling trained dental hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox (HD3952). This bill was filed by Representatives Frank Moran (D-17th Essex) and Manny Cruz (D-7th Essex) and enables dental hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox. Dental hygienists already receive a significant amount of training in head and neck anatomy and administer larger injections, and they could safely join dentists and oral surgeons as licensed administrators.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request and please respond here or at [PHONE NUMBER] with any questions.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Calling your State Senator:

  1. Call your State Senator in the Massachusetts legislature (listed on www.wheredoivotema.com as “State Senator”). Please note that most offices are in a hybrid format at this time, so calls may go to voicemail. In this case, follow the same instructions; staff will either listen and take note or call you back with any questions.
  2. What to say: I am calling on behalf of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association (MDHA). As a Registered Dental Hygienist, and your constituent, I am asking you to sign onto four pieces of legislation that are important to me and my profession.
  1. Please co-sponsor legislation filed by Senator Adam Gomez (Senate Docket 747) that would create a midlevel oral healthcare provider in the Commonwealth who would provide much needed dental care to underserved populations.
  2. Please co-sponsor legislation filed by Senator Robyn Kennedy (Senate Docket 653) that would allow public health dental hygienists to bill third-party insurance carriers. PHDHs go into settings such as classrooms, senior centers, and nursing homes to provide services. Currently, PHDHs are only able to bill MassHealth for services provided, not private carriers. However, many of the individuals seeking services in these settings have private insurance, and thus PHDHs are unable to provide services to these individuals; or, more often, provide services at no cost. Allowing PHDHs to bill for providing these services would ensure that all individuals without adequate access to dental care will be able to be served by PHDHs.
  3. Please co-sponsor Senator Michael Moore’s bill, Senate Docket 1594, which allows Massachusetts to join 33 other states that already allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide.
  4. And finally, please co-sponsor legislation filed by Senator Julian Cyr (Senate Docket 2062) that enables dental hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox, which are already performed by many dentists.

3. Thank them for their time. If they have any questions, and you are unsure of the answer, simply say you do not know but will call them back. Please contact Amanda Berthiuame at [email protected], or our government affairs consultant Kate Worrall at [email protected] to help you get the answer.

Calling your State Representative:

  1. Call your State Representative in the Massachusetts legislature (listed on www.wheredoivotema.com as “State Representative”). It is also fine to speak with an aide. Ask to speak to an aide who is dealing with bills related to healthcare. Please note that most offices are working in a hybrid format at this time, so calls may go to voicemail. In this case, follow the same instructions; staff will either listen and take note or call you back with any questions.
  2. What to say:

I am calling on behalf of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association (MDHA). As a Registered Dental Hygienist, and your constituent, I am asking you to sign onto four pieces of legislation that are important to me and my profession.

  • Please co-sponsor two pieces of legislation filed by Representative Smitty Pignatelli (House Docket 111 and House 1127). The first would create a midlevel oral healthcare provider in the Commonwealth who would provide much needed dental care to underserved populations. The second would allow public health dental hygienists to bill third-party insurance carriers. PHDHs go into settings such as classrooms, senior centers, and nursing homes to provide services. Currently, PHDHs are only able to bill MassHealth for services provided, not private carriers. However, many of the individuals seeking services in these settings have private insurance, and thus PHDHs are unable to provide services to these individuals; or, more often, provide services at no cost. Allowing PHDHs to bill for providing these services would ensure that all individuals without adequate access to dental care will be able to be served by PHDHs.
  • Please co-sponsor legislation filed by Representative Kay Khan (House Docket 1814) that would allow Massachusetts to join the 33 other states that already allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide.
  • And finally, please co-sponsor legislation filed by Representatives Frank Moran and Manny Cruz (House Docket 3952) that enables dental hygienists to administer dermal fillers and botox, which are already performed by many dentists.

3. Thank them for their time. If they have any questions, and you are unsure of the answer, simply say you do not know but will call them back. Please contact Amanda Berthiuame at [email protected], or our government affairs consultant Kate Worrall at [email protected] to help you get the answer.

Once you’ve made your calls or sent your emails, please take one more moment to let us know what the response was by contacting our government affairs consultant Kate Worrall at [email protected].

Thank you!

If you have questions about this legislation, or want any additional information on ways we are working to improve the quality of life of dental hygienists in Massachusetts and how we are working to improve access to oral healthcare throughout the state, please contact Amanda Berthiuame at [email protected].