Congress may take up the next version of a pandemic relief proposal in the coming week. This version will expand on some of the past relief initiatives, as well as other concerns and issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Like we did before, we must ensure dentistry is included in this next legislative package. We are asking Congress to include the following provisions as they move forward with negotiations:
- Providing tax credits to small businesses for the purchase of additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety improvements to the office.
- Increasing funding for Medicaid and protecting adult and child Medicaid dental benefits from cuts.
- Providing temporary and targeted liability protection to small businesses that follow applicable public health guidelines during the pandemic.
- Giving additional flexibility for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by allowing borrowers to:
- Take advantage of the Employee Retention Tax Credit.
- Use PPP funds to purchase PPE.
- Take out additional PPP funds.
- Apply for PPP loans if they are 501(c)(6) organizations.
- Deduct expenses paid for with PPP loans.
- Incentivizing health care practitioners to work in health-disadvantaged communities that have been further undermined by COVID-19 by providing tax credits, federal grants, additional student loan repayment, and other incentives.
- Ensuring that Provider Relief funding is not included as taxable income
- Providing supplemental funding designated for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help the Institute re-launch its research priorities to pre-pandemic levels and help advance their COVID-19 research agenda.
- Investing resources in the public health infrastructure including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indian Health Service (IHS).
Please urge your members of Congress to support these provisions in the upcoming COVID-19 package.