North Texas Dentistry Volume 5 Issue 5 | Page 19

Prevented rate cuts and eliminated red tape in the Medicaid dental program. Not only did the TDA help prevent budget cuts to dental Medicaid, it also supported legislation that reduces administrative burdens for Medicaid participating dentists; Safeguarded dental patients. TDA supported legislation that requires dental support organizations (DSOs) to register with the state. Information included in this registration will further help the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners to identify DSOs and enforce existing state laws against illegal ownership and non-dentist influence of dentists and dental practices; Preserved dentists’ independent professional judgment. The TDA strongly advocated to defeat proposed legislation that would have taken existing rules governing improper influence on professional judgment, amended them, and locked them in statute. This approach would have resulted in a vastly different regulatory environment jeopardizing both patients and dentists; and Secured funding for dental schools. The TDA successfully worked with the dental schools and the legislature to obtain additional state funding including $72 million to Baylor College of Dentistry for capital projects. As evidenced from the ɕ