Category: Advocacy, ODPAC & Legislation

Day at the Statehouse, the Ohio Dental Association’s most important grassroots advocacy event, will be May 20 in Columbus. Day at the ... [continue reading]

The ODA regularly conducts surveys of our member dentists so we know what you think about the ODA’s programs, events, communications, etc. This helps us meet your needs. For more than 30 years, our member dentists have told us that the ODA’s first priority should be advocacy on behalf of dentistry and oral health. And our members give the ODA ... [continue reading]

“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” – Plato It doesn’t take a very deep conversation about the ODA’s advocacy efforts before someone will mention the historic increase in Ohio Medicaid dental reimbursement as well as passage of what we termed (with affection?) the “non-covered ... [continue reading]

In membership surveys over the past 20 years, including the most recent membership survey, one of the most important membership benefits has been and continues to be advocacy for the profession. Advocacy is always at the forefront of conversations regarding the ODA and our members. Over the past few years, the advocacy of the association has ... [continue reading]

“Oral health is a critical component of overall health, yet many Ohioans face barriers to accessing dental care, particularly in rural areas.” – “Partners In Progress, Pursuing Medical/Dental Integration in Ohio” CareQuest Institute and Oral Health Ohio Impact Report, 2025 ... [continue reading]

Fluoridation of public water systems became widespread in Ohio in the early 1970s following passage of a state law, backed by the ODA, that directed communities to engage in the practice of adding fluoride to public water systems up to an optimum level unless the communities opted out by a certain date. Most communities did not opt out and today ... [continue reading]

At the 2025 ODA Day at the Statehouse, about 80 dentists and 30 dental students met with their state senators and representatives on May ... [continue reading]

The 135th General Assembly enacted legislation, Senate Bill 40, in 2024 that adds common sense fairness back to the dental insurance system. This new law prohibits dental insurance companies from dictating fees for services that the insurers do not even cover. Any new contracts entered into from Jan. 1, 2025 on, must be compliant with the new ... [continue reading]

As many of you know, starting in January of 2024, dental Medicaid reimbursements in Ohio increased on average by 93% per procedure. This across-the-board increase was the result of years of advocacy by the ODA and its member dentists urging policymakers to address the deficiencies in the dental Medicaid program. These reimbursement increases ... [continue reading]

In this month’s article, I wanted to focus on what the intent of this column is on a monthly basis and what services the ODA provides to members around legal questions and regulatory compliance. The Legal & Legislative column aims to highlight a legal or regulatory question that has been posed recently by a member or members of the ... [continue reading]