ADHA Applauds Congressional Action to Improve Access to Dental Care

Chicago–August 8, 2007–The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) extends its congratulations and appreciation to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for voting to improve and extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Both chambers of Congress approved legislation that will provide health insurance coverage to uninsured children from low-income families whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

For the first time, a House bill would provide a federal guarantee for dental services in SCHIP. ADHA worked with other national dental organizations to promote the inclusion of dental benefits in this legislation. The House bill recognizes that oral health is an integral part of overall health and general well-being, and requires state SCHIP programs to include coverage of dental benefits.

ADHA is listed in the Congressional Record as a supporter of the House bill, H.R. 3162. ADHA’s endorsement letter expressed support for all of the dental access provisions and for the increase in the tobacco excise tax, which would not only fund the SCHIP bill but would also reduce the number of children who smoke. Increasing access to dental care and smoking cessation are two initiatives to which ADHA is firmly committed.

Access to dental care garnered significant Congressional attention this year in the wake of the tragic and preventable death in February of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Maryland boy, which resulted from complications stemming from an untreated abscessed tooth.

“ADHA would like to thank the members of Congress for supporting and protecting the health of our families,” says Jean Connor, RDH, ADHA president. “While we still have a long way to go to, we feel this legislation is an important step on the road to correcting the flaws in the oral health care delivery system. We hope that all Americans will join us in exploring new and equitable solutions to the access to care problems we currently face.”

The House bill and the Senate bill contain differences that need to be resolved in a conference committee containing members appointed from each chamber. Once the differences have been resolved, both the House and the Senate will again vote on the proposed legislation before it is sent to the President for final approval. President Bush has threatened to veto any SCHIP reauthorization that is funded above the $5 billion level recommended by his administration. Both the House and the Senate bills are funded at levels significantly higher than the administration’s recommendation, at $50 billion and $35 billion respectively.

“ADHA remains steadfast in its support for SCHIP reauthorization legislation and encourages the President not to veto this important piece of legislation,” says Connor. “To veto this bill would be to deny the children who need it most the care they deserve.”

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of the more than 120,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit http://www.adha.org.

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