Two pieces of legislation introduced to Congress earlier this year could potentially improve dental care access for thousands of people if passed.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell introduced the Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024 Sept. 17 as a companion to legislation previously introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders in May.
The bills would expand dental coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and the Veterans Affairs program. It would also enhance the dental workforce to increase accessibility in underserved areas and increase reimbursement rates for Medicaid dental services.
Melissa Burroughs, the director of policy at the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, told Becker’s the bill is a “huge step forward” for enhancements to dental care in the U.S.
“It’s been about 10 years since a bill like this has been introduced in the House, and this is a really major piece of legislation,” she said. “It addresses major gaps in Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ care, ACA marketplace plans and more in terms of dental access. There are also a lot of good investments in things like improving the workforce and other ways to ensure people can actually get care.”
Source: Federal bills a ‘huge step forward’ for dental care accessibility / Becker’s Dental + DSO Review