Dr. Jeffrey Lowenstein
Something for Everybody!
Strategic Forecast for NESO Advocacy Efforts
The 2027 legislative session is likely to be one of the most consequential for organized dentistry in New England in more than a decade. Nearly every state is facing the same pressures: dental workforce shortages, rising Medicaid costs with lower dental funding and reimbursements, increasing scrutiny of dental insurance practices, growing interest in alternative provider models including interstate licensure compacts, foreign-trained dentist licensure, dental therapist legislation, expanded roles for dental hygienists, AI and teledentistry regulations. There is something for everyone to worry about, do some investigative work and advocate for a better practice environment in which to continue achieving personal and professional goals.
Massachusetts remains the regional bellwether, with legislation often influencing neighboring states. Dental society supported bills have continued advancing through the legislative process at a snail’s pace, signaling that many issues will remain active from now until the end of the biennial legislative session on January 5, 2027.
What can we do as a dental society?
- Lead with access. Present orthodontists/dentists as the solution to access problems by advocating for workforce incentives, expanded residency positions, and loan repayment rather than allowing the debate to center solely on new provider models.
- Build a regional coalition. The many dental societies within the New England states could coordinate positions, testimony, and legislative tracking to amplify their influence and reduce duplicated effort.
- Develop an annual workforce report. Reliable data on retirement trends, practice openings, underserved communities, and Medicaid participation strengthens credibility with lawmakers.
- Become the authority on insurance reform. Publish objective analyses of claim denials, administrative burden, network adequacy, and reimbursement trends to inform policymakers.
- Most importantly, engage earlier. Relationships with committee chairs and legislative staff before bills are filed are often more influential than testimony after hearings begin.
- Increase grassroots participation. Expand orthodontist/dentist participation in advocacy days, legislative office visits, and district-level engagement so legislators hear directly from practicing clinicians.
- Prepare for AI policy. Create an expert task force to recommend standards on clinical AI, patient disclosure, privacy, cyber security, and professional responsibility before broad legislation is drafted.
If current trends continue, 2027 will be defined less by debates over new clinical procedures and more by broader policy questions: how to sustain the dental workforce, improve access to care, modernize insurance regulation, and integrate new technologies while maintaining quality. For organized dentistry, the most effective strategy is likely to be proactive leadership: bringing evidence-based policy proposals to legislators rather than responding only after bills are introduced.
Please let me know what you think. Please send any comments/questions to my attention at metdent@rcn.com. Only through an organized effort from all NESO members can we remain in control of our professional and personal lives.
L. Jeffrey Lowenstein, DMD
NESO Legislative Correspondent