23 dental groups write to U.S. Senate

Twenty-three organizations concerned with pediatric and oral health have signed a letter asking the leadership of U.S. Senate committees to retain specific oral health provisions in final healthcare reform legislation.

The Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) released the letter Friday and claimed leadership in gathering the signatures of the other 22 organizations.

The Senate is working to reconcile two different versions of healthcare reform legislation, one passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the other by the Senate Finance Committee. The letter calls on the senators to retain the following oral health provisions from the HELP bill:

• It includes pediatric dental care among the benefits that must be provided by insurance companies selling health insurance in a new public exchange. (This provision is also in the Finance Committee bill.)

• It funds more training for dental professionals, including grants for dental students.

• It launches public health programs including public oral health education, demonstration programs for caries management, school-based sealant programs, and CDC oral health grants.

The organizations also asked the Senate leaders to insert language that would put an oral health expert in a committee that determines exactly what benefits should be mandatory in the insurance policies offered in the public exchange. Such a provision is a healthcare reform bill passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The letter was signed by the following organizations:

American Association for Dental Research

American Dental Education Association

American Dental Hygienists’ Association

American Dental Partners

Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors

Child Welfare League of America

Children’s Dental Health Project

Children’s Health Fund

Dental Health Foundation

DentaQuest Foundation

Family Voices

First Focus

Medicaid/SCHIP Dental Association

Medicaid Health Plans of America

National Assembly on School-Based Health Care

The letter was addressed to Sen. Max Baucus, D-MT, who is chairman of the Finance Committee; to Sen. Chuck Grassely, R-IA, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee; to Sen. Tom Harkin, D-IA, the chairman of the HELP Committee; Sen. Christopher Dodd, a ranking Democrat on the HELP committee; and to Sen. Mike Enzi, R-WY, ranking Republican on the HELP committee.