President Signs Bill Expanding Dental Care Coverage In Health Insurance Program For Low-Income Children

February is
Children's Dental Health month and today dental care for children
emerged as a key priority for this country as the President signed
legislation for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Reauthorization. This legislation is the second bill that the
President has signed into law, and has received overwhelming support
in Congress. The Children's Dental Project applauds President Obama
and this Congress for moving quickly and demonstrating that
children's access to proper dental care is a major priority.



This legislation provides a stable dental benefit for CHIP eligible
children for the first time along with provisions that include:
coverage for dental care, oral health education for new parents,
expanded access for health center patients, and increased
accountability and quality of care for millions of children whose
families are unable to afford private dental insurance.



Dental care became a significant issue for Congress after the death
of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Maryland boy who died two years ago
this month from complications due to the infection of a decayed tooth
that spread to his brain. Inspired by this story, Congressman Elijah
E. Cummings (D-MD) has been a major advocate for the passage of this
legislation. He declares today a victory for children's oral health.



"From Deamonte Driver's tragic death, we will bring life. Deamonte's
case was rare and extreme, but he was by no means alone in his
suffering. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that
dental decay is the single most common chronic disease in US children
-- yet it is preventable. With this landmark legislation, we take the
first steps toward ensuring that all the Deamontes out there are
freed from their senseless pain and suffering," Congressman Cummings
said.



Dr. Burt Edelstein, Founding Director of the Children's Dental Health
Project, is pleased that this bill has passed today and says it will
go a long way toward ensuring that children can grow and develop free
of dental pain and infection.



"By reauthorizing and strengthening this highly successful program,
millions of low-income children will have vital dental coverage. We
applaud the bipartisan support that has strengthened this program and
expanded eligibility to more children living without health insurance
in this country," said Edelstein. "We especially thank the
policymakers that have fought tirelessly over the years to ensure
that this day would come to fruition, making the point that oral
health is recognized as an important part of overall health."



The Children's Dental Health Project is a national non-profit
organization with the vision of achieving equity in children's oral
health.


Children's Dental Health Project