How Your PAC Dollar Protects the Profession

Every year, NJDA members contribute to NJDPAC with a simple question: 

What does my PAC dollar actually do? 

The answer is not one bill, one meeting, or one moment. 

It is a system. 

A system that takes the real experiences of dentists and turns them into policy conversations, legislative action, and long-term change. 

It Always Starts the Same Way 

A dentist runs into a problem: 

• A claim is downcoded or denied  

• A non-covered service is restricted  

• Payment is delayed beyond reasonable timelines  

• A consultant with no clinical context questions treatment decisions  

• A new administrative burden emerges  

• Forced to take reimbursement fees that do not cover costs!  

They call NJDA. 

And that is where advocacy begins. 

NJDA lifts those voices, identifies patterns, and turns individual frustrations into system-level issues. 

Caption: Whether in person or on zoom, NJDA volunteers and leadership consistently talk and brainstorm how to address the issues affecting the profession.  

PAC Is the Vehicle That Creates Access 

Advocacy is a relationship-driven process. 

Your PAC dollar allows NJDA to: 

• Be in the room with legislators consistently

• Build trust over time, not just when a crisis arises

• Educate policymakers on complex, real-world issues

• Bring credibility to the concerns raised by practicing dentists  

Through NJDPAC, we strategically engage legislators across key committees such as: 

• Majority and Minority Leadership in both houses, Health, Regulated Professions, Commerce and other high-impact committees  

These lawmakers influence everything from: 

• Insurance reform

• Workforce and licensure

• Access to care

• Health equity

• Business practices  

Without access, these conversations do not happen as frequently as they need so legislation can move. 

Real Policy Wins Start With These Conversations 

Over the years, NJDA has helped bring attention to and make progress on issues like: 

• Non-covered services protections

• Prompt payment requirements

• Oversight of dental consultants reviewing claims

• Administrative fairness in payer practices  

None of these started as legislation. 

They started as repeated concerns from dentists across New Jersey. 

Your PAC dollars created the opportunity to: 

• Bring those concerns directly to legislators

• Educate them over multiple years

• Build enough understanding to move policy forward 

The Next Wave of Issues 

Today, that same process is shaping the future of dentistry: 

• Artificial Intelligence in claims review and utilization management

• Workforce shortages and pipeline constraints

• Interstate licensure and compacts

• Ongoing insurance reform challenges  

Once again, it starts with NJDA lifting the voices of dentists and using PAC-supported relationships to ensure those voices are heard. 

When State Wins Hit a Federal Wall 

As NJDA achieved policy wins at the state level, a new pattern emerged: 

Even when New Jersey passed strong laws, they did not always apply. 

Because of ERISA.  

As third-party administrators and self-funded plans became more dominant, federal law began overriding state protections, creating real challenges for dental practices.  

This Is What Advocacy in Organized Dentistry Looks Like: Closing the ERISA Loophole 

From State Advocacy to Federal Action 

This is where long-term PAC strategy shows its full value. 

NJDA did not just build relationships in Trenton. 

We built them in Washington as well. 

Through years of engagement, some of our state legislators moved on to Congress, like Rep. Jeff Van Drew, Herb Conaway, Nellie Pou, all of which are now pro-dentistry Congressional Leaders which led to the introduction of the Improving Dental Administration Act 

 Caption: NJDA members meeting with New Jersey’s congressional delegation to advocate for federal solutions like the IDA Act. 

This is the full pathway: 

Dentist experience → NJDA legislative advocacy & PAC-supported relationships → Protecting Your Profession 

PAC Dollars at Work in New Jersey 

Your PAC dollars also support advocacy here at home. 

Caption: Bringing policymakers and dentists together to discuss real issues impacting patient care and the profession.  

At NJDA-hosted events like Mouth Matters, we brought together: 

• Legislative leaders

• Policymakers

• Dental professionals

• Advocacy partners  

These settings allow for deeper, more meaningful conversations about the future of dentistry. 

These moments do not happen by accident. 

They are made possible by sustained PAC investment. 

Transparency and Trust 

PACs are highly regulated. 

Every contribution NJDPAC makes is publicly reported and can be reviewed through the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). 

This is a transparent, relationship-driven process. 

• No backroom deals

• No transactions for votes

• No shortcuts  

Just consistent engagement, education, and advocacy. 

The Bottom Line 

Your PAC dollar does not purchase outcomes. 

It builds the environment where outcomes become possible. It creates access. 

It builds trust. 

It strengthens relationships. 

And ultimately it protects the profession. 

Keep NJDA’s Voice Strong 

The challenges facing dentistry are not slowing down: 

• Insurance reform is evolving

• Workforce pressures are growing

• Technology is changing how care is delivered and reviewed  

If we are not in the room, those decisions will be made without us. 

Your PAC contribution ensures that does not happen. 

It ensures that when decisions are being made, dentistry is represented. 

Your support today fuels the relationships, conversations, and advocacy that protect dentistry tomorrow.