II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 448 

To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to prohibit lifetime or annual 

limits on dental coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and to require wraparound coverage of dental services for certain 

children under such program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2021 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Ms. STABENOW) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to prohibit 

lifetime or annual limits on dental coverage under the 

Children’s Health Insurance Program, and to require 

wraparound coverage of dental services for certain children under such program. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ensuring Kids Have 

5 Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act’’. 


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•S 448 IS

1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF LIFETIME OR ANNUAL LIMITS ON 

2 DENTAL BENEFITS UNDER THE CHILDREN’S 

3 HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2103(c)(6) of the Social 

5 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397cc(c)(6)) is amended— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘, subject 

7 to subparagraph (D),’’ after ‘‘shall include’’; 

8 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘A State’’ 

9 and inserting ‘‘Subject to subparagraph (D), a 

10 State’’; and 

11 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub12 paragraph: 

13 ‘‘(D) NO LIFETIME OR ANNUAL LIMITS ON

14 DENTAL BENEFITS.—A State shall not establish 

15 lifetime or annual limits on the dollar value of 

16 benefits for dental services provided under the 

17 State child health plan to a targeted low-income 

18 child, and, in the case that the State elects to 

19 provide pregnancy-related assistance pursuant 

20 to section 2112, to a targeted low-income preg21 nant woman (as defined in section 2112(d)), in22 cluding benefits for such services that are pro23 vided through dental coverage that is otherwise 

24 equivalent to a benchmark dental package de25 scribed in subparagraph (C).’’. 


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•S 448 IS

1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 this section shall take effect on the date that is 6 months 

3 after the date of enactment of this Act. 

4 SEC. 3. REQUIRING WRAPAROUND COVERAGE OF DENTAL 

5 SERVICES FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN UNDER 

6 CHIP. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2110(b)(5) of the Social 

8 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397jj(b)(5)) is amended— 

9 (1) in the paragraph header, by striking ‘‘OP10 TION’’ and inserting ‘‘REQUIREMENT’’; 

11 (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘may 

12 waive’’ and inserting ‘‘shall waive’’; and 

13 (3) in subparagraph (C)— 

14 (A) in the subparagraph header, by strik15 ing ‘‘CONDITIONS’’ and inserting ‘‘REQUIRE16 MENTS’’; and 

17 (B) by striking ‘‘may not offer dental-only 

18 supplemental coverage under this paragraph 

19 unless the State satisfies the following condi20 tions’’ and inserting ‘‘shall offer dental-only 

21 supplemental coverage under this paragraph in 

22 accordance with the following requirements’’. 


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•S 448 IS

1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 this section shall take effect on the date that is 6 months 

3 after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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