Session Updates

The following are priorities of the 2026 MDA Legislative agenda. Check here for updates throughout session.

Read the Weekly Pulse: A broad overview of what happened last week in the Missouri Legislature provided by MDA lobby firm, Gamble & Schlemeier.

Items MDA Supports

Dental Loss Ratio

  • House Bill Information: HB 2471 Creates provisions relating to dental plans, Sponsor: Rep. Jeff Farnan (R)
    • Last action: 01/08/2026 - H - Read Second Time
  • Senate Bill Information: SB 1596 Creates provisions relating to dental insurance, Sponsor: Sen. Jill Carter (R)
  • Last action: 02/05/2026 - S - Referred to committee - Senate-Insurance and Banking

Take Action: Our More for Your Smile campaign has mobilized 201 individuals who have sent 360 patient form letters, along with nine individuals who have sent an additional 18 dental team member letters. Send a letter now!

Background: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established that major medical plans pay certain percentages of the collected premiums for medical care vs. administrative costs. For example, large group plans must spend at least 85 percent of their collected premiums on care delivered to patients and no more than 15 percent can be spent on administrative costs and profit. No such requirement exists for dental plans which are considered “excepted benefits.” This legislation was filed in 2024 and 2025.

Dentist and Dental Hygienist Licensure Compact 

  • House Bill Information: HB 1847 Modifies provisions relating to the dental professions, Sponsor: Rep. John Hewkin (R)
    • Last action: 02/26/2026 - S - Referred to committee - Senate-Emerging Issues and Professional Registration
  • Senate Bill Information: SB 988 Establishes the Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact, Sponsor: Sen. Ben Brown (R)
    • Last action: 02/03/2026 - S - Voted Do Pass as substituted - Senate-Emerging Issues and Professional Registration. The substitute makes no substantive changes to the compact and instead specifies that it may not conflict with the Missouri Constitution.

Background: The MDA is in support through collaboration of legislation to establish the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Licensure Compact, which would allow licensed dentists and dental hygienists to practice across state lines without additional licensure requirements.

Dental Appropriations 

The priority of MDA is to maintain Dental Medicaid reimbursement rates, and we appreciate the ongoing collaboration with state departments to make the system more efficient for dentists to enroll and provide care to Missourians. Specific MDA appropriation requests are to:

  • Maintain Dental Medicaid reimbursement rates at 80% of the 50th percentile of UCR.
  • Maintain $180,000 for Donated Dental Services.
  • Maintain last year’s appropriation of $400,000 for the Elks Mobile Dental Unit. 

Items MDA Opposes

Water Fluoridation

  • Senate Bill Information: SB 1548 Creates provisions relating to the discharge of fluoride into water, Sponsor: Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R)
    • Last action: 02/05/2026 - S - Referred to committee - Senate-Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy, and the Environment

Background: The act provides that it shall be unlawful for a public water supply district or a public water system to discharge fluoride into water used for human consumption. Any individual may report violations of the act to the Department of Natural Resources. If the Department finds that a violation occurred, the Department shall ask the Attorney General to commence a civil action. If the court finds that a violation occurred, the court may grant relief as described in the act

MDA Priority Items Without Legislation

Oral Preventive Assistant

  • Current Status: The OPA pilot Project has been complete and a final report sent to the Missouri Dental Board and State of Missouri. The MDA will continue to move forward with creating the OPA to be permanently placed into laws in the State of Missouri. 
  • Background: In 2021, the MDA formed an exploratory workforce committee charged with investigating workforce shortages within Missouri’s dental community and possible solutions. One solution is a type of scaling dental assistant. The creation of this new health care role — the Oral Preventive Expanded Function Dental Assistant (OPA/OPA-EFDA) — must be done through the state’s dental practice laws. The rule was promulgated for the pilot project by the Missouri Dental Board and in March 2025 and patients started to be seen through the clinical trial portion of the pilot. Data collection was ongoing and a report to the Missouri Dental Board was provided in December 2025. 

Previous Session

Visit Legislative History to see cumulative MDA advocacy work (2007 to current). Under each year you will see the legislative or regulatory topic, related bills/links, a summary of the effect on the dental profession, and any additional resources.