II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3178 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize dental insurance for 

veterans and survivors and dependents of veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 23, 2008 

Mr. BURR introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize dental 

insurance for veterans and survivors and dependents of 

veterans, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. DENTAL INSURANCE FOR VETERANS AND SUR4 VIVORS AND DEPENDENTS OF VETERANS. 

5 (a) DENTAL INSURANCE AUTHORIZED.—Subchapter 

6 II of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amend7 ed by inserting after section 1712B the following new sec8 tion: 


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1 ‘‘§ 1712C. Dental insurance: veterans; certain sur2 vivors and dependents of veterans 

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide a 

4 dental insurance plan for the veterans and survivors and 

5 dependents of veterans described in subsection (b). 

6 ‘‘(b) COVERED VETERANS AND SURVIVORS AND DE7 PENDENTS.—The veterans and survivors and dependents 

8 of veterans described in this subsection are as follows: 

9 ‘‘(1) Any veteran who is enrolled in the system 

10 of annual patient enrollment under section 1705 of 

11 this title. 

12 ‘‘(2) Any survivor or dependent of a veteran 

13 who is eligible for medical care under section 1781 

14 of this title. 

15 ‘‘(c) BENEFITS.—The dental insurance plan under 

16 this section shall provide such benefits for dental care and 

17 treatment as the Secretary considers appropriate for the 

18 dental insurance plan, including diagnostic services, pre19 ventative services, endodontics and other restorative serv20 ices, surgical services, and emergency services. 

21 ‘‘(d) ENROLLMENT.—(1) Enrollment in the dental 

22 insurance plan under this section shall be voluntary. 

23 ‘‘(2) Enrollment in the dental insurance plan shall 

24 be for such minimum period as the Secretary shall pre25 scribe for purposes of this section. 


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1 ‘‘(e) PREMIUMS.—(1) Premiums for coverage under 

2 the dental insurance plan under this section shall be in 

3 such amount or amounts as the Secretary shall prescribe 

4 for purposes of this section. 

5 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall adjust the premiums pay6 able under this section for coverage under the dental in7 surance plan on an annual basis. Each individual covered 

8 by the dental insurance plan at the time of such an adjust9 ment shall be notified (by writing or by electronic mail) 

10 of the amount and effective date of such adjustment. 

11 ‘‘(3) Each individual covered by the dental insurance 

12 plan shall pay the entire premium for coverage under the 

13 dental insurance plan. 

14 ‘‘(f) VOLUNTARY DISENROLLMENT.—(1) With re15 spect to enrollment in the dental insurance plan under this 

16 section, the Secretary shall— 

17 ‘‘(A) permit the voluntary disenrollment of an 

18 individual in the dental insurance plan if the 

19 disenrollment occurs during the 30-day period begin20 ning on the date of the enrollment of the individual 

21 in the dental insurance plan; and 

22 ‘‘(B) permit the voluntary disenrollment of an 

23 individual in the dental insurance plan for such cir24 cumstances as the Secretary shall prescribe for pur25 poses of this subsection, but only to the extent such 


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1 disenrollment does not jeopardize the fiscal integrity 

2 of the dental insurance plan. 

3 ‘‘(2) The circumstances prescribed under paragraph 

4 (1)(B) shall include the following: 

5 ‘‘(A) If an individual enrolled in the dental in6 surance plan relocates to a location outside the juris7 diction of the dental insurance plan that prevents 

8 utilization of the benefits under the dental insurance 

9 plan. 

10 ‘‘(B) If an individual enrolled in the dental in11 surance plan is prevented by a serious medical con12 dition from being able to obtain benefits under the 

13 dental insurance plan. 

14 ‘‘(C) Such other circumstances as the Secretary 

15 shall prescribe for purposes of this subsection. 

16 ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall establish procedures for de17 terminations on the permissibility of voluntary 

18 disenrollments under paragraph (1)(B). Such procedures 

19 shall ensure timely determinations on the permissibility of 

20 such disenrollments. 

21 ‘‘(g) RELATIONSHIP TO DENTAL CARE PROVIDED BY

22 SECRETARY.—Nothing in this section shall affect the re23 sponsibility of the Secretary to provide dental care under 

24 section 1712 of this title and the participation of an indi25 vidual in the dental insurance plan under this section shall 


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1 not affect the individual’s entitlement to outpatient dental 

2 services and treatment, and related dental appliances, 

3 under that section. 

4 ‘‘(h) REGULATIONS.—The dental insurance plan 

5 under this section shall be administered under such regu6 lations as the Secretary shall prescribe.’’. 

7 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

8 at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended 

9 by inserting after the item relating to section 1712B the 

10 following new item: 

‘‘1712C. Dental insurance: veterans; certain survivors and dependents of veterans.’’. 

Æ 


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