I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2410 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to provide administrative support to providers of dental care 

who provide such care to veterans that is not furnished under such 

title, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot 

program for the provision of dental care to certain veterans, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 30, 2023 

Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. VAN DREW, Mr. FERGUSON, and 

Mr. WALTZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide administrative 

support to providers of dental care who provide such 

care to veterans that is not furnished under such title, 

to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 

a pilot program for the provision of dental care to certain 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Early Treat3 ment for Chronic Ailment Resurgence through Examina4 tions Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘VET CARE Act of 2023’’. 

5 SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY PRO6 VIDERS OF DENTAL CARE. 

7 Section 1712 of title 38, United States Code, is 

8 amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as 

10 subsections (e) and (f), respectively; and 

11 (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol12 lowing new subsection (d): 

13 ‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary may furnish, to a provider of 

14 dental care described in paragraph (2), administrative 

15 support (including information for the provider to share 

16 with veterans regarding the dental insurance plan under 

17 section 1712C of this title) related to dental care described 

18 in paragraph (2). 

19 ‘‘(2) Dental care described in this paragraph is— 

20 ‘‘(A) provided to a veteran; 

21 ‘‘(B) not furnished under a law administered by 

22 the Secretary; and’’. 

23 SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE PROVISION OF DENTAL 

24 CARE TO CERTAIN VETERANS. 

25 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Vet2 erans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to pro3 vide outpatient dental services and treatment, and 

4 related dental appliances, to eligible veterans en5 rolled under subsection (c)(3), at no cost to such 

6 veterans. 

7 (2) PURPOSE.—Under the pilot program, the 

8 Secretary shall determine whether there is a correla9 tion between veterans receiving such services and 

10 treatment, and the veterans suffering fewer com11 plications of chronic ailments, thereby yielding a 

12 lower cost of care. 

13 (3) STEERING COMMITTEE: ESTABLISHMENT; 

14 DUTY; AUTHORITY.—The Secretary shall appoint a 

15 scientific steering committee to ensure that results 

16 of clinical trials conducted under the pilot program 

17 withstand the peer review process. To carry out such 

18 duty, the steering committee— 

19 (A) shall establish comprehensive ethical 

20 and scientific protocols for clinical trials; and 

21 (B) may alter the definition of ‘‘eligible 

22 veteran’’ in subsection (b). 

23 (b) ELIGIBLE VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 

24 subject to subsection (a)(3)(B), the term ‘‘eligible vet25 eran’’ means a veteran who— 


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1 (1) is enrolled in the system of annual patient 

2 enrollment under section 1705 of title 38, United 

3 States Code; 

4 (2) is not eligible for dental care under section 

5 1712 of title 38, United States Code; 

6 (3) the Secretary determines does not receive 

7 regular periodontal care; 

8 (4) is between 40 and 70 years of age; and 

9 (5) has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 

10 (c) APPLICATION; EVALUATION; DISQUALIFICATION; 

11 ENROLLMENT; CATEGORIZATION.— 

12 (1) APPLICATION.—An eligible veteran may 

13 elect to apply for the pilot program. 

14 (2) EVALUATION; DISQUALIFICATION.—An eli15 gible veteran who applies for the pilot program shall 

16 receive an initial periodontal evaluation, including 

17 vertical bitewing radiographs. Any eligible veteran 

18 diagnosed with periodontal disease that requires sur19 gery shall be disqualified from the pilot program. 

20 (3) ENROLLMENT; CATEGORIZATION.—The Sec21 retary shall enroll at least 1,500 eligible veterans 

22 who apply for the pilot program, giving preference to 

23 veterans with service-connected disabilities that in24 creases in accordance with the veterans’ disability 


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1 ratings under chapter 11 of title 38, United States 

2 Code, in a manner that ensures the following: 

3 (A) One-third of eligible veterans enrolled 

4 in the pilot program shall have been diagnosed 

5 with no or mild periodontitis under paragraph 

6 (2). 

7 (B) Two-thirds of eligible veterans enrolled 

8 in the pilot program shall have been diagnosed 

9 with moderate to severe periodontitis under 

10 paragraph (2). 

11 (d) DURATION OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall 

12 carry out the pilot program during the four-year period 

13 beginning on the date that is 180 days after the effective 

14 date of this section. 

15 (e) LOCATIONS.—The pilot program shall be carried 

16 out in five facilities of the Veterans Health Administra17 tion, with one such facility in each of five Veterans Inte18 grated Services Networks that the Secretary considers ap19 propriate for the pilot program. 

20 (f) PATIENT DISTRIBUTION.—Each facility shall 

21 serve not more than one-fourth and not fewer than one22 sixth of the veterans enrolled in the pilot program, in ap23 proximately even proportions of veterans categorized 

24 under subsection (c)(3). 

25 (g) COURSE OF PROGRAM.— 


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1 (1) PERIODONTAL THERAPY.—The Secretary 

2 shall make timely and appropriate periodontal ther3 apy available to veterans described in subsection 

4 (c)(3)(B). 

5 (2) ELECTION OF TREATMENT.—Such veterans 

6 who elect to receive treatment shall be classified as 

7 ‘‘treated’’. 

8 (3) ANNUAL EVALUATIONS.—Each treated vet9 eran shall receive an annual dental evaluation, dur10 ing which the periodontal health of the treated vet11 eran shall be reassessed and recorded exactly as at 

12 the initial evaluation under subsection (c)(2). 

13 (4) HEALTH OUTCOME REPORTING.—For the 

14 duration of the pilot program, the Secretary shall 

15 collect and record data regarding the health of treat16 ed veterans, including events, treatments, and out17 comes, and make such data available for analysis by 

18 qualified researchers. 

19 (h) EDUCATION.— 

20 (1) HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.—The Secretary 

21 shall provide standardized instructions to all physi22 cians and dentists who work in facilities described in 

23 subsection (e) to ensure consistent evaluation and 

24 care for veterans enrolled in the pilot program in all 

25 such facilities. 


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1 (2) ENROLLED VETERANS.—The Secretary 

2 shall provide each veteran enrolled in the pilot pro3 gram with an orientation, information before any 

4 care is provided under the pilot program, and an 

5 exit interview that includes information regarding 

6 how such veteran may obtain dental services and 

7 treatment after the end of the pilot program. 

8 (i) EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall 

9 notify those institutions of higher education (as that term 

10 is defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 

11 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) that offer degrees in periodontolo12 gy of the pilot program so that such institutions may en13 gage in similar studies regarding private periodontal care 

14 for veterans. 

15 (j) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

16 conclusion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit 

17 a report of findings to the Congress. 

18 (k) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall administer 

19 the pilot program under such regulations as the Secretary 

20 shall prescribe, including best practices regarding in21 formed consent and study registration. 

Æ 


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