b'COVID-19 Vaccine Numerous COVID-19 relief bills remain pending before Congress. Up-to-date The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,information on bills can be found at and Medicine recently stated that dentists andcongress.gov. dental hygienists are essential health care workers who should be afforded early access to a COVID-19State Dental Boards and Departments of vaccine. The announcement was made duringHealth continue to consider a variety of an October 2 webinar. The Centers for Diseasemeasures specific to COVID-19 and dentistry. Control and Prevention and the National InstitutesPerio.org has a state-specific chart to of Health requested the National Academies toprovide easy access to state regulations. We draft a framework to inform future decisions aboutencourage members to access the COVID-19 how to allocate the initial supply of the vaccine.information page for more information.More information can be found on the website of the National Academies Committee on EquitableCompetitive Health Insurance Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus atReform Act Passes Housenationalacademies.org. The U.S. House of Representatives held a Provider Relief Fund Reportingvoice vote on Sep. 21 to repeal the McCarran-Requirement Details Ferguson antitrust exemption for health insurance companies by passing H.R. 1418, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesthe Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act. (HHS) released a notice Sept. 19 outlining reportingThe bipartisan legislation was led by Reps. requirements for health care providers who receivedPeter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. payment from the Provider Relief Fund. According toThe House passed the bill by a voice vote HHS, recipients who received one or more paymentswhich means no recorded vote was taken. The over $10,000 will be required to comply with thebill will need to be considered by the Senate requirements when the reporting system opens inbefore it can become law.early 2021. More information can be found here: hhs.gov/sites/default/files/post-payment-notice-of-reporting-requirements.pdfAAP Periospectives| 19'