U.S. legislators take access-to-care issues to heart

Two members of the U.S. Congress -- one a retired dentist -- are working to address America's access-to-oral care issues through legislative means.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), DDS, has introduced a bill aimed at increasing access to dental care, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is seeking information about the status of dental care in Vermont and the U.S. in preparation for a fall hearing into the issue.

Simpson, a retired dentist, is cosponsoring HR 1666, the Breaking Barriers to Oral Health Act of 2011, which seeks to improve essential oral healthcare for low-income people. If passed, the legislation would create two new grant programs with funding from the Public Health Service Act.

The first grant would allow state and local entities that offer free dental services to underserved populations to take advantage of federal money to establish or expand their programs. The second grant would establish public-private partnerships between dental organizations; state, county, or local officials; and other stakeholders that support initiatives to improve oral health literacy programs. It would also reduce impediments that prevent providers from participating in Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIPs), as well as establish dental homes for Medicaid or CHIP-eligible patients and address geographic, language, or cultural barriers that prevent patients from accessing oral healthcare services.

Simpson is one of a handful of Republicans who voted in favor of the reauthorization of CHIP in 2007. He also supports the Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act, which provides grants to educate children about the oral health risks of meth abuse and helps prisons provide care to inmates who suffer from meth mouth. In addition, he cosponsored the Methamphetamine Prevention Campaign Grant Program Act of 2010, which would provide support for meth prevention campaigns.

However, he is opposed to the concept of midlevel providers.

"Congressman Simpson has concerns with allowing midlevel providers to do surgical and irreversible procedures," said his spokesperson Nikki Watts in an email to DrBicuspid.com. "Proper training and education lead to better results, and that is particularly important in permanent procedures."

'People are struggling'

Sanders, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Care and Aging, is seeking information about the status of dental care in Vermont and the U.S. in preparation for a Senate hearing on access to care that he plans to hold later this year. He is primarily seeking information on whether dental care is accessible to those who need it, and whether it is affordable.

"The overwhelming demand by Vermonters for dental service is proof that people are struggling to pay basic expenses -- for fuel, housing, and groceries -- and too many people can't afford the added expense of taking care of their teeth," Sanders said on his website. "We must continue to fight to ensure dental care is available for all people, regardless of income or ability to pay."

In a June letter to President Barack Obama, Sanders wrote: "Mr. President, just over the last two weeks, nearly 500 people from Vermont and throughout the U.S. have written me about their experiences with trying -- often in vain -- to find affordable dental care."

During the healthcare reform debate, Sanders played a key role to ensure funding for the expansion of community health centers, according to Erick Carrera, his legislative assistant.

"His goal is to raise awareness about how difficult it is for so many Americans to access dental care," Carrera told DrBicuspid.com. "So he is inviting the public to write to him on his website and share their experiences trying to get dental care."

Sanders also wants to expand school-based dental health care and help with nonfinancial barriers such as providing child care and transportation for patients.