The American Dental Association has a strong advocacy wing, whose primary role is to influence public policies affecting the practice of dentistry and the oral health of the American public.

In a recent letter directed to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, the ADA asked Congress to increase the limits of health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for the coming year. The hope is that consumers will be more likely to use their tax-advantaged savings toward dental services if their plans are less limited.

As explained on www.hsacenter.com, funds that are withdrawn from an HSA are tax-free when used to pay for qualified medical (physical or mental), dental or vision expenses as described in Section 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Service Tax Code. A list of qualifying expenses is available on the IRS website, www.irs.gov in IRS Publication 502, "Medical and Dental Expenses."

The House committee held a recent meeting, "Lowering Costs and Expanding Access to Health Care through Consumer-Directed Health Plans," and the letter was drafted, received and considered before that meeting.

In the letter, ADA advocates asked for legislators to return the FSA limits to the pre-Affordable Care Act level of $5,000. Currently, FSA reimbursement for single coverage is limited to $2,650 for 2018. They also urged committee members to increase the flexibility of HSAs and FSAs and preserve the current tax exclusions for employer-provided medical and dental plans.

"The ADA believes the reduced amount is a step back for consumers when the cost of health care continues to increase and adversely impacts the patients’ choices for dental care," wrote Drs. Crowley and O’Loughlin.

Why does this matter to you?

Whether you are a dental provider or you are a patient, this policy — and its possible changes for the coming year — matter. More flexibility in HSA/FSA plans means more dollars that can be used to pay for dental treatments.

That would be a win for patients who sometimes put off needed dental care because of cost and it would be a win for practitioners seeking to increase their patient-base and revenue.

"The ADA believes the reduced amount is a step back for consumers when the cost of healthcare continues to increase and adversely impacts the patients’ choices for dental care," wrote Drs. Joseph P. Crowley, ADA president, and Kathleen T. O’Loughlin, executive director.