II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 570 

To improve access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved 

populations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2015 

Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. BROWN, and Mr. CARDIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To improve access to oral health care for vulnerable and 

underserved populations. 

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 ‘‘Comprehensive Dental 

5 Reform Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

7 The table of contents of this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Table of contents. 

Sec. 3. Findings. 

TITLE I—MEDICARE AND MEDICAID 


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Subtitle A—Medicare 

Sec. 101. Coverage of dental services under the Medicare program. 

Subtitle B—Medicaid 

Sec. 111. Coverage of dental services under the Medicaid program. 

TITLE II—PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS 

Subtitle A—National Health Service Corps 

Sec. 201. National Health Service Corps. 

Sec. 202. Community based dental residencies. 

Subtitle B—Oral Health Education 

Sec. 211. Authorization of appropriations for oral health education for medical 

providers. 

Sec. 212. Oral health education for other non-health professionals. 

Sec. 213. Dental education. 

Sec. 214. Oral health professional student loans. 

Subtitle C—Other Oral Health Programs 

Sec. 221. Access points. 

Sec. 222. Dental clinics in schools. 

Sec. 223. Emergency room care coordination. 

Sec. 224. Research funding. 

Sec. 225. Mobile and portable dental services. 

Subtitle D—Oral Health Services as an Essential Health Benefit 

Sec. 231. Oral health services as an essential health benefit. 

TITLE III—DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MATTERS 

Subtitle A—Department of Veterans Affairs Matters 

Sec. 301. Requirement that Secretary of Veterans Affairs furnish dental care 

in the same manner as any other medical service. 

Sec. 302. Demonstration program on training and employment of alternative 

dental health care providers for dental health care services for 

veterans in rural and other underserved communities. 

Subtitle B—Department of Defense Matters 

Sec. 311. Demonstration program on training and employment of alternative 

dental health care providers for dental health care services for 

members of the Armed Forces and dependents lacking ready 

access to such services. 

TITLE IV—FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS 

Sec. 401. Demonstration program on training and employment of alternative 

dental health care providers for dental health care services for 

prisoners within the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. 

TITLE V—INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE 


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Sec. 501. Demonstration program on training and employment of alternative 

dental health care providers for dental health care services 

under the Indian Health Service. 

TITLE VI—REPORTS TO CONGRESS 

Sec. 601. Reports on enrollment in coverage for oral health services. 

1 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) The United States must establish a nation4 wide and comprehensive approach to address the 

5 lack of access to needed dental care and reduce oral 

6 health disparities. 

7 (2) Since 2000, when the Surgeon General of 

8 the United States called dental disease a ‘‘silent epi9 demic’’, there has been increasing but still insuffi10 cient attention given to addressing oral health 

11 issues. 

12 (3) Dental caries, commonly known as cavities, 

13 are the most common chronic disease for children in 

14 the United States. Additionally, 25 percent of Amer15 ican adults who have attained 65 years of age have 

16 lost all of their teeth. 

17 (4) Untreated oral health problems contribute 

18 to an increased risk for serious medical conditions 

19 such as diabetes, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and 

20 poor birth outcomes. 

21 (5) According to a report by the Surgeon Gen22 eral of the United States, students miss more than 


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1 51,000,000 hours of school and employed adults lose 

2 more than 164,000,000 hours of work each year due 

3 to dental disease and dental visits. 

4 (6) More than 47,000,000 people live in a den5 tal Health Professional Shortage Area where the 

6 number of dentists for the population size is inad7 equate and people may face significant challenges in 

8 accessing oral health care. 

9 (7) While the lack of access to oral health serv10 ices is a national problem, those who are most likely 

11 to remain underserved are individuals with low in12 comes, racial and ethnic minorities, pregnant 

13 women, older adults, individuals with special needs, 

14 and individuals living in rural communities. 

15 (8) More than 1 in 4 Americans do not have 

16 dental health insurance which is far greater than the 

17 number of individuals who lack general health insur18 ance. 

19 (9) The Medicare program and the Department 

20 of Veterans Affairs do not provide dental coverage to 

21 the majority of their beneficiaries, and States can 

22 elect whether to provide dental coverage to adults 

23 under the Medicaid program. 

24 (10) A minority of practicing dentists in the 

25 United States provide care to individuals enrolled in 


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1 Medicaid, and a very small percentage of dentists 

2 devote a substantial part of their practice towards 

3 caring for individuals who are underserved. 

4 (11) The United States spends more than 

5 $111,000,000,000 on dental care every year. 

6 (12) Between 2008 and 2010, more than 

7 4,000,000 patients visited hospital emergency de8 partments for assistance with dental conditions, ac9 counting for 1 percent of all emergency room visits 

10 during such period and at a cost of $2,700,000,000. 

11 TITLE I—MEDICARE AND 

12 MEDICAID 

13 Subtitle A—Medicare 

14 SEC. 101. COVERAGE OF DENTAL SERVICES UNDER THE 

15 MEDICARE PROGRAM. 

16 (a) COVERAGE.—Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Se17 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended— 

18 (1) in subparagraph (EE), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

19 after the semicolon at the end; 

20 (2) in subparagraph (FF), by adding ‘‘and’’ 

21 after the semicolon at the end; and 

22 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub23 paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(GG) oral health services (as defined in sub25 section (iii));’’. 


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1 (b) ORAL HEALTH SERVICES DEFINED.—Section 

2 1861(s) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)) 

3 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub4 section: 

5 ‘‘Oral Health Services 

6 ‘‘(iii)(1) The term ‘oral health services’ means serv7 ices (as defined by the Secretary) that are necessary to 

8 prevent disease and promote oral health, restore oral 

9 structures to health and function, and treat emergency 

10 conditions. 

11 ‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), such term shall 

12 include mobile and portable oral health services (as de13 fined by the Secretary) that— 

14 ‘‘(A) are provided for the purpose of over15 coming mobility, transportation, and access barriers 

16 for individuals; and 

17 ‘‘(B) satisfy the standards and certification re18 quirements established under section 1902(a)(84)(B) 

19 for the State in which the services are provided.’’. 

20 (c) PAYMENT AND COINSURANCE.—Section 

21 1833(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 1395l(a)(1)) is amended— 

23 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ before ‘‘(Z)’’; and 

24 (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end 

25 the following: ‘‘, and (AA) with respect to oral 


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1 health services (as defined in section 1861(iii)), the 

2 amount paid shall be (i) in the case of such services 

3 that are preventive, 100 percent of the lesser of the 

4 actual charge for the services or the amount deter5 mined under the payment basis determined under 

6 section 1848, and (ii) in the case of all other such 

7 services, 80 percent of the lesser of the actual 

8 charge for the services or the amount determined 

9 under the payment basis determined under section 

10 1848’’. 

11 (d) PAYMENT UNDER PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE.— 

12 Section 1848(j)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

13 1395w–4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(2)(GG),’’ after 

14 ‘‘risk assessment),’’. 

15 (e) DENTURES.—Section 1861(s)(8) of the Social Se16 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(8)) is amended— 

17 (1) by striking ‘‘(other than dental)’’ and in18 serting ‘‘(including dentures)’’; and 

19 (2) by striking ‘‘internal body’’. 

20 (f) REPEAL OF GROUND FOR EXCLUSION.—Section 

21 1862(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y) is 

22 amended by striking paragraph (12). 

23 (g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

24 this section shall apply to services furnished on or after 

25 January 1, 2016. 


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1 Subtitle B—Medicaid 

2 SEC. 111. COVERAGE OF DENTAL SERVICES UNDER THE 

3 MEDICAID PROGRAM. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1905 of the Social Secu5 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a)(10), by striking ‘‘dental 

7 services’’ and inserting ‘‘oral health services (as de8 fined in subsection (ee)(1))’’; and 

9 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(ee)(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), for pur11 poses of this title, the term ‘oral health services’ means 

12 services (as defined by the Secretary) that are necessary 

13 to prevent disease and promote oral health, restore oral 

14 structures to health and function, and treat emergency 

15 conditions. These services shall include, in the case of 

16 pregnant or postpartum women, such services as are nec17 essary to address oral health conditions that exist or are 

18 exacerbated by pregnancy or childbirth or which, if left 

19 untreated, could adversely affect fetal or child develop20 ment. 

21 ‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), such term shall 

22 include— 

23 ‘‘(A) dentures; and 

24 ‘‘(B) mobile and portable oral health services 

25 (as defined by the Secretary) that— 


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1 ‘‘(i) are provided for the purpose of over2 coming mobility, transportation, and access bar3 riers for individuals; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) satisfy the standards and certification 

5 requirements established under section 

6 1902(a)(82)(C) for the State in which the serv7 ices are provided. 

8 ‘‘(3) For purposes of paragraph (1), such term shall 

9 not apply to dental care or services provided to individuals 

10 under the age of 21 under subsection (r)(3).’’. 

11 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

12 (1) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—Section 

13 1902(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)) is amend14 ed— 

15 (A) in paragraph (10)(A), in the matter 

16 preceding clause (i), by inserting ‘‘(10),’’ after 

17 ‘‘(5),’’; 

18 (B) in paragraph (80), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

19 at the end; 

20 (C) in paragraph (81), by striking the pe21 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

22 (D) by inserting after paragraph (81) the 

23 following: 

24 ‘‘(82) provide for— 


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1 ‘‘(A) informing, in writing, all individuals 

2 who have been determined to be eligible for 

3 medical assistance of the availability of oral 

4 health services (as defined in section 1905(ee)); 

5 ‘‘(B) conducting targeted outreach to preg6 nant women who have been determined to be el7 igible for medical assistance about the avail8 ability of medical assistance for such dental 

9 services and the importance of receiving dental 

10 care while pregnant; and 

11 ‘‘(C) establishing and maintaining stand12 ards for and certification of mobile and portable 

13 oral health services (as described in subsections 

14 (r)(3)(C) and (ee)(2)(B) of section 1905).’’. 

15 (2) DEFINITION OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

16 Section 1905(a)(12) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

17 1396d(a)(12)) is amended by striking ‘‘, dentures,’’. 

18 (c) MOBILE AND PORTABLE ORAL HEALTH SERV19 ICES UNDER EPSDT.—Section 1905(r)(3) of the Social 

20 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(r)(3)) is amended— 

21 (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

22 and inserting a semicolon; 

23 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period 

24 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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1 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub2 paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(C) which shall include mobile and portable 

4 oral health services (as defined by the Secretary) 

5 that— 

6 ‘‘(i) are provided for the purpose of over7 coming mobility, transportation, or access bar8 riers for children; and 

9 ‘‘(ii) satisfy the standards and certification 

10 requirements established under section 

11 1902(a)(82)(C) for the State in which the serv12 ices are provided.’’. 

13 (d) INCREASED FEDERAL FUNDING FOR DENTAL

14 SERVICES.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1905 of the Social 

16 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d), as amended by sub17 section (a), is further amended— 

18 (A) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, 

19 by striking ‘‘and (aa)’’ and inserting ‘‘(aa), and 

20 (ff)’’; and 

21 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

22 subsection: 

23 ‘‘(ff) INCREASED FMAP FOR ORAL HEALTH SERV24 ICES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection 

2 (b) and section 1903(a)(7) and subject to the re3 quirements described in paragraphs (3) and (4), 

4 with respect to amounts expended on or after Janu5 ary 1, 2016, for covered oral health expenses (as de6 scribed in paragraph (2)), the Federal medical as7 sistance percentage for a State that is one of the 50 

8 States or the District of Columbia for such expenses 

9 shall be equal to the Federal medical assistance per10 centage that would otherwise apply to the State for 

11 the fiscal year, as determined under subsection (b) 

12 or section 1903(a)(7), increased by 15 percentage 

13 points. 

14 ‘‘(2) COVERED ORAL HEALTH EXPENSES.—For 

15 purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘covered oral 

16 health expenses’ means the amounts expended for 

17 medical assistance for oral health services (as de18 fined in subsection (ee)) and amounts expended for 

19 the proper and efficient administration of the provi20 sion of such oral health services under the State 

21 plan. 

22 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—For purposes of para23 graph (1), the Federal medical assistance percentage 

24 applicable to covered oral health expenses under this 

25 subsection shall not apply to a State unless— 


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1 ‘‘(A) the State plan for medical assistance 

2 provides payment for oral health services (as so 

3 defined) furnished by a health care provider at 

4 a rate that is not less than 70 percent of the 

5 usual and customary fee for such services in the 

6 State; and 

7 ‘‘(B) the State satisfies such additional re8 quirements as are established by the Secretary, 

9 which shall include— 

10 ‘‘(i) streamlining of administrative 

11 procedures for purposes of ensuring ade12 quate provider participation and increasing 

13 patient utilization of oral health services; 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(ii) the provision of technical assist16 ance to health care providers designed to 

17 reduce the number of missed patient ap18 pointments and reduce other barriers to 

19 the delivery of oral health services. 

20 ‘‘(4) LIMITATION.—For purposes of amounts 

21 expended for covered oral health services, in no case 

22 shall any increase under this subsection result in a 

23 Federal medical assistance percentage that exceeds 

24 100 percent.’’. 


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1 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

2 1903(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

3 1396b(a)(7)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 

4 1919(g)(3)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 1905(ff) and 

5 1919(g)(3)(B)’’. 

6 (e) SECRETARIAL RESPONSIBILITIES.— 

7 (1) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUTREACH.— 

8 The Secretary of Health and Human Services, act9 ing through the Administrator of the Centers for 

10 Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall provide tech11 nical assistance to States and conduct outreach to 

12 States for purposes of educating and encouraging 

13 States to utilize and provide payment under each 

14 State Medicaid program for telehealth-enabled den15 tal services in order to provide dental services to tra16 ditionally underserved populations in need of such 

17 services. 

18 (2) DATABASE AND ANNUAL REPORT ON DEN19 TAL BENEFITS FOR ADULT MEDICAID ENROLLEES.— 

20 (A) MEDICAID DENTAL BENEFITS DATA21 BASE.—The Secretary of Health and Human 

22 Services, acting through the Administrator of 

23 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 

24 shall maintain, as accurately and up-to-date as 

25 possible, a database that contains with respect 


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1 to each State (as defined for purposes of title 

2 XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 

3 et seq.)) information regarding the dental bene4 fits available for adults enrolled in the State 

5 Medicaid program, including any limits on such 

6 benefits and the amount of reimbursement pro7 vided under the State Medicaid program for 

8 such benefits. The database also shall include a 

9 separate description of the dental benefits, ben10 efit limits, and amount of reimbursement pro11 vided under each State Medicaid program for 

12 pregnant women, if such benefits are not pro13 vided to the woman as part of early and peri14 odic screening, diagnostic, and treatment serv15 ices (as defined in section 1905(r) of the Social 

16 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(r))), and a de17 scription of the use of dental services by chil18 dren and adults enrolled in the State Medicaid 

19 program. 

20 (B) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary of 

21 Health and Human Services shall make avail22 able to the public an annual report regarding 

23 the information collected in the database re24 quired under subparagraph (A). Each annual 

25 report under this subparagraph shall include for 


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1 each State Medicaid program and with respect 

2 to the most recent year for which data are 

3 available the yearly dental service utilization 

4 rates for children and adults enrolled in the 

5 State Medicaid program. 

6 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para8 graph (2), the amendments made by this section 

9 shall apply to calendar quarters beginning on or 

10 after January 1, 2016, without regard to whether or 

11 not final regulations to carry out such amendments 

12 have been promulgated by such date. 

13 (2) DELAY PERMITTED FOR STATE PLAN

14 AMENDMENT.—In the case of a State plan for med15 ical assistance under title XIX of the Social Security 

16 Act which the Secretary of Health and Human Serv17 ices determines requires State legislation (other than 

18 legislation appropriating funds) in order for the plan 

19 to meet the additional requirements imposed by the 

20 amendments made by this section, the State plan 

21 shall not be regarded as failing to comply with the 

22 requirements of such title solely on the basis of its 

23 failure to meet these additional requirements before 

24 the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning 

25 after the close of the first regular session of the 


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1 State legislature that begins after the date of enact2 ment of this Act. For purposes of the previous sen3 tence, in the case of a State that has a 2-year legis4 lative session, each year of such session shall be 

5 deemed to be a separate regular session of the State 

6 legislature. 

7 TITLE II—PUBLIC HEALTH 

8 PROGRAMS 

9 Subtitle A—National Health 

10 Service Corps 

11 SEC. 201. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 331 of the Public Health 

13 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d) is amended— 

14 (1) in subsection (a)(3), by adding at the end 

15 the following: 

16 ‘‘(F) The term ‘dental therapist’ means, 

17 with respect to a State that licenses such dental 

18 therapists, a mid-level dental practitioner who is 

19 licensed to practice under the law of the State 

20 and who provides preventive and restorative 

21 services directly to the public, commensurate 

22 with the scope of the practice.’’; and 

23 (2) in subsection (b)— 


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1 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘dental 

2 therapy programs and’’ after ‘‘schools at 

3 which’’; and 

4 (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘dental 

5 therapists,’’ after ‘‘dentists,’’. 

6 (b) FACILITATION OF EFFECTIVE PROVISION OF

7 CORPS SERVICES.—Section 336(f)(3) of the Public Health 

8 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254h–1(f)(3)) is amended by in9 serting ‘‘dental therapists,’’ after ‘‘midwives,’’. 

10 (c) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND LOAN REPAYMENT

11 PROGRAM.— 

12 (1) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.—Section 338A of 

13 the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l) is 

14 amended— 

15 (A) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘den16 tal therapists,’’ after ‘‘dentists,’’; and 

17 (B) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘in18 cluding dental therapy,’’ after ‘‘or other health 

19 profession,’’. 

20 (2) LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.—Section 

21 338B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 254l–1) is amended— 

23 (A) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘den24 tal therapists,’’ after ‘‘dentists,’’; and 

25 (B) in subsection (b)(1)— 


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1 (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 

2 ‘‘dental therapist,’’ after ‘‘nurse practi3 tioner,’’; 

4 (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 

5 ‘‘dental therapy,’’ after ‘‘mental health,’’; 

6 and 

7 (iii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by in8 serting ‘‘, including dental therapy’’ after 

9 ‘‘health profession’’. 

10 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

11 Section 338H of the Public Health Service Act (42 

12 U.S.C. 254q) is amended— 

13 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘this sec14 tion’’ and inserting ‘‘this subpart’’; and 

15 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS WITH

17 RESPECT TO ORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.—To carry 

18 out this subpart with respect to dentists, dental therapists, 

19 and dental hygienists, in addition to the amounts author20 ized under subsection (a), there is authorized to be appro21 priated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 

22 2016 through 2019, which shall be used to provide an 

23 emergency expansion for scholarships to, and loan repay24 ments on behalf of, such oral health professionals.’’. 


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1 SEC. 202. COMMUNITY BASED DENTAL RESIDENCIES. 

2 Section 340H of the Public Health Service Act (42 

3 U.S.C. 256h) is amended by adding at the ending the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(k) ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—For the purpose of ex6 panding the program under this section, there is author7 ized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 

8 for the 5-year period beginning with the fiscal year that 

9 begins not less than 1 year and not more than 2 years 

10 after the date of enactment of the Comprehensive Dental 

11 Reform Act of 2015’’. 

12 Subtitle B—Oral Health Education 

13 SEC. 211. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR ORAL 

14 HEALTH EDUCATION FOR MEDICAL PRO15 VIDERS. 

16 Section 747(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 

17 U.S.C. 293k(c)) is amended by adding at the end the fol18 lowing: 

19 ‘‘(4) ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION.—In addition 

20 to other amounts authorized under this subsection 

21 for purposes of carrying out this section, there is au22 thorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

23 necessary for fiscal years 2016 through 2019 for the 

24 purpose of educating nondental medical professionals 

25 (including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, 

26 physician assistants, and pharmacists and particuVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:17 Mar 06, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S570.IS S570

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1 larly such professionals who provide care to children 

2 and pregnant and postpartum women) about oral 

3 health, including issues such as oral hygiene instruc4 tion, topical application of fluoride, and oral health 

5 screenings, with the goal of integrating oral health 

6 care into overall health care.’’. 

7 SEC. 212. ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOR OTHER NON8 HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. 

9 Subpart I of part C of title VII of the Public Health 

10 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293k et seq.) is amended by insert11 ing after section 748 the following: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 748A. ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOR OTHER NON13 ORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants 

15 to, or enter into contracts with, an accredited public or 

16 nonprofit private hospital, educational institutions, or pub17 lic or private nonprofit entities that the Secretary has de18 termined to be capable of carrying out such grant or con19 tract to educate individuals, such as community health 

20 workers, social workers, nutritionists, health educators, 

21 occupational therapists, and psychologists, to promote oral 

22 health education and literacy and to provide support for 

23 behavior change and assistance with care coordination 

24 with respect to oral health. 


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1 ‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

2 carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro3 priated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 

4 2016 through 2019.’’. 

5 SEC. 213. DENTAL EDUCATION. 

6 Section 748 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

7 U.S.C. 293k–2) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (a)(1)(H), by striking ‘‘pedi9 atric training programs’’ and inserting ‘‘pediatric 

10 dental training programs’’; and 

11 (2) in subsection (c)— 

12 (A) by striking the subsection heading and 

13 inserting ‘‘REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARD.—’’; 

14 (B) by amending the matter preceding 

15 paragraph (1) to read as follows: ‘‘With respect 

16 to training provided for under this section, the 

17 Secretary shall award grants or contracts only 

18 to eligible entities that meet at least 7 of the 

19 following criteria:’’; 

20 (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘have a 

21 record of training the greatest percentage of 

22 providers, or that have demonstrated significant 

23 improvements in the percentage of providers, 

24 who enter and’’ and inserting ‘‘train significant 

25 numbers of providers who’’; 


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1 (D) in paragraph (3)— 

2 (i) by striking ‘‘have a record of train3 ing’’ and inserting ‘‘intend to train’’; and 

4 (ii) by striking the period at the end 

5 and inserting ‘‘and have faculty with expe6 rience in treating underserved popu7 lations.’’; 

8 (E) in paragraph (8), by inserting ‘‘or 

9 have established’’ after ‘‘establish’’; and 

10 (F) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(9) Qualified applicants that require not less 

12 than 200 hours of community-based education rota13 tions.’’. 

14 SEC. 214. ORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL STUDENT LOANS. 

15 Part F of title VII of the Public Health Service Act 

16 (42 U.S.C. 295j et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

17 the following: 

18 ‘‘SEC. 799C. ORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL STUDENT 

19 LOANS. 

20 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

21 and operate a student loan fund for oral health profes22 sional students, including dental hygienists, dental thera23 pists, and dentists. 

24 ‘‘(b) CONTENT.—The Secretary shall establish and 

25 operate the student loan fund program under subsection 


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1 (a) in the same manner and subject to the same terms 

2 as the loan fund program established with schools of nurs3 ing under section 835. 

4 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

5 carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro6 priated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 

7 2016 through 2019.’’. 

8 Subtitle C—Other Oral Health 

9 Programs 

10 SEC. 221. ACCESS POINTS. 

11 Subpart X of part D of title III of the Public Health 

12 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256f et seq.) is amended by adding 

13 at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘SEC. 340G–2. FUNDING FOR ORAL HEALTH SERVICES. 

15 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 

16 the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 

17 Administration, shall establish a program to award grants 

18 to eligible entities to provide oral health services, or to con19 tract with private dental practices to provide comprehen20 sive oral health services, to low-income individuals and in21 dividuals who are underserved with respect to oral health 

22 care. 

23 ‘‘(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

24 provide technical assistance to entities receiving grants 


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1 under subsection (a) to provide technical assistance to 

2 such entities in order to— 

3 ‘‘(1) with respect to oral health care services, 

4 increase utilization and efficiency and minimize 

5 missed appointments, contract with offsite providers, 

6 recruit providers (including oral health specialists), 

7 and operate programs outside the physical facilities 

8 to take advantage of new systems to improve access 

9 to oral health services; 

10 ‘‘(2) address barriers to access to such services 

11 and conduct targeted outreach to special populations 

12 such as pregnant women, individuals with disabil13 ities, individuals with chronic conditions such as dia14 betes, and individuals residing in long-term care fa15 cilities; or 

16 ‘‘(3) contract with private dental practices that 

17 will provide oral health services other than preven18 tive oral health care, including restoration and main19 tenance of oral health, in order to meet the need for 

20 oral health services in the community. 

21 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive 

22 a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall— 

23 ‘‘(1) be— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a Federally qualified health center 

2 (as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social 

3 Security Act); 

4 ‘‘(B) a safety net clinic or a free clinic (as 

5 defined by the Secretary); 

6 ‘‘(C) a health care clinic that provides 

7 services to tribal organizations or urban Indian 

8 organizations (as such terms are defined in sec9 tion 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement 

10 Act); or 

11 ‘‘(D) any other interested public or private 

12 sector health care provider or organization that 

13 the Secretary determines has a demonstrated 

14 history of serving a high number of uninsured 

15 and or low-income individuals or those who lack 

16 ready access to oral health services; and 

17 ‘‘(2) demonstrate a clear need to expand oral 

18 health care services beyond preventive oral health 

19 care. 

20 ‘‘(d) ALLOCATION FOR HIRING ORAL HEALTH CARE

21 SPECIALISTS.—A portion of the funds available under this 

22 section shall be allocated toward hiring oral health care 

23 specialists, such as oral surgeons and endodontists, at en24 tities receiving grants under this section. 


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1 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

2 carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro3 priated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 

4 years 2016 through 2019.’’. 

5 SEC. 222. DENTAL CLINICS IN SCHOOLS. 

6 Part Q of title III of the Public Health Service Act 

7 (42 U.S.C. 280h et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

8 the following: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 399Z–2. DENTAL CLINICS IN SCHOOLS. 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

11 grants to qualified entities for the purpose of funding the 

12 building, operation, or expansion of dental clinics in 

13 schools. 

14 ‘‘(b) QUALIFIED ENTITIES.—To receive a grant 

15 under this section, a qualified entity shall submit an appli16 cation to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

17 containing such information as the Secretary may require. 

18 ‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—An entity receiving a grant 

19 under this section shall— 

20 ‘‘(1) provide comprehensive oral health services 

21 at a dental clinic based at a school, including oral 

22 health education, oral screening, fluoride application, 

23 prophylaxis, sealants, and basic restorative services; 

24 ‘‘(2) develop a coordinated system of care by re25 ferring patients to an available qualified oral health 


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1 provider in the community for any required oral 

2 health services not provided in the dental clinic in 

3 the school, including restorative services, to ensure 

4 that all the oral health needs of students are met; 

5 and 

6 ‘‘(3) maintain clinic hours that extend beyond 

7 school hours. 

8 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 

9 purposes of carrying out this section, there is authorized 

10 to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fis11 cal years 2016 through 2019.’’. 

12 SEC. 223. EMERGENCY ROOM CARE COORDINATION. 

13 Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

15 the following: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 320B. EMERGENCY ROOM CARE COORDINATION WITH 

17 RESPECT TO DENTAL CARE. 

18 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 

19 the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 

20 Administration, shall establish a grant program to enable 

21 individuals to receive dental care at a facility operated by 

22 a grant recipient rather than at a hospital emergency 

23 room. 

24 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive 

25 a grant under this section an entity shall— 


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1 ‘‘(1) be— 

2 ‘‘(A) a Federally qualified health center 

3 (as defined in paragraph (4) of section 

4 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act) or rural 

5 health clinic (as defined in paragraph (2) of 

6 such section); 

7 ‘‘(B) a private dental practice; or 

8 ‘‘(C) any other interested public or private 

9 sector health care provider or organization, 

10 such as a dental school, that the Secretary de11 termines has the capacity to serve in a coordi12 nated, cost-effective manner, a high number of 

13 individuals who lack access to oral health serv14 ices; and 

15 ‘‘(2) partner with a hospital or urgent care cen16 ter. 

17 ‘‘(c) ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOR PRIMARY CARE

18 AND ER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.—The Secretary shall 

19 allocate a portion of the amounts appropriated under sub20 section (e) toward medical education for primary care and 

21 emergency room physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, 

22 and physician assistants to be trained in oral health. 

23 ‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2019, the 

24 Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the best 

25 practices determined by the program established under 


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1 this section to address oral health needs of individuals who 

2 go to emergency rooms in need of oral health care. 

3 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

4 carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro5 priated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 

6 2016 through 2019.’’. 

7 SEC. 224. RESEARCH FUNDING. 

8 For fiscal years 2016 through 2019, there is author9 ized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 

10 to each of— 

11 (1) the Centers for Disease Control and Preven12 tion, for the purpose of conducting research on— 

13 (A) the prevention of oral disease; 

14 (B) oral disease management; and 

15 (C) evidence-based strategies to prevent 

16 tooth decay; 

17 (2) the Agency for Healthcare Research and 

18 Quality, for the purpose of conducting— 

19 (A) research on access, quality, and out20 comes with respect to oral health services; and 

21 (B) evaluations of oral health service deliv22 ery to underserved and vulnerable populations, 

23 including an evaluation of workforce models to 

24 enhance oral health service delivery; 


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1 (3) the National Institute of Dental and 

2 Craniofacial Research for the purpose of conducting 

3 research on oral health disease prevention and man4 agement, and applying rigorous, multidisciplinary re5 search-based approaches to overcome disparities in 

6 oral health; and 

7 (4) the Maternal and Child Health Bureau for 

8 the purpose of conducting research on perinatal, 

9 postnatal, and childhood oral health issues, including 

10 the integration of dental providers in settings where 

11 pediatricians practice. 

12 SEC. 225. MOBILE AND PORTABLE DENTAL SERVICES. 

13 Subpart X of part D of title III of the Public Health 

14 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256f et seq.), as amended by sec15 tion 221, is further amended by adding at the end the 

16 following: 

17 ‘‘SEC. 340G–3. MOBILE AND PORTABLE DENTAL SERVICES. 

18 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

19 grants to Federally qualified health centers (as defined in 

20 paragraph (4) of section 1861(aa) of the Social Security 

21 Act), rural health clinics (as defined in paragraph (2) of 

22 such section), nonprofit dental clinics, and dental schools 

23 to provide mobile and portable, comprehensive dental serv24 ices that provide for the restoration or maintenance of oral 

25 health and function (including dental services provided by 


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1 licensed providers through telehealth-enabled collaboration 

2 and supervision) and outreach for dental services to un3 derserved populations. Eligible entities shall deliver such 

4 services at locations such as senior centers, nursing 

5 homes, assisted living facilities, schools, licensed day care 

6 centers that serve eligible individuals who receive benefits 

7 under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program 

8 under title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

9 1397aa et seq.) or the Medicaid program under title XIX 

10 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), and 

11 facilities that provide services under the Special Supple12 mental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Chil13 dren (the WIC program) or the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

14 9831 et seq.). The Secretary shall award the grants to 

15 entities that can provide coordinated care and continuity 

16 of care. 

17 ‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

18 carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro19 priated such sums as may be necessary.’’. 

20 Subtitle D—Oral Health Services as 

21 an Essential Health Benefit 

22 SEC. 231. ORAL HEALTH SERVICES AS AN ESSENTIAL 

23 HEALTH BENEFIT. 

24 Section 1302(b) of the Patient Protection and Af25 fordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18022(b)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

2 (A) in subparagraph (J), by striking ‘‘oral 

3 and’’; and 

4 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(K) Oral health services for children and 

6 adults.’’; and 

7 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(6) ORAL HEALTH SERVICES.—For purposes 

9 of paragraph (1)(K), the term ‘oral health services’ 

10 means services (as defined by the Secretary), that 

11 are necessary to prevent disease and promote oral 

12 health, restore oral structures to health and func13 tion, and treat emergency conditions.’’. 

14 TITLE III—DEPARTMENT OF 

15 VETERANS AFFAIRS AND DE16 PARTMENT OF DEFENSE MAT17 TERS 

18 Subtitle A—Department of 

19 Veterans Affairs Matters 

20 SEC. 301. REQUIREMENT THAT SECRETARY OF VETERANS 

21 AFFAIRS FURNISH DENTAL CARE IN THE 

22 SAME MANNER AS ANY OTHER MEDICAL 

23 SERVICE. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title 38, United States Code, is 

25 amended— 


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1 (1) in section 1701(6), by striking ‘‘as de2 scribed in sections 1710 and 1712 of this title’’; 

3 (2) in section 1710(c), by striking the second 

4 sentence; 

5 (3) in section 1712— 

6 (A) by striking subsections (a) and (b); 

7 (B) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), 

8 and (e) as subsections (a), (b), and (c), respec9 tively; and 

10 (C) in subsection (a), as redesignated by 

11 subparagraph (B)— 

12 (i) by striking ‘‘Dental appliances’’ 

13 and inserting ‘‘The Secretary may furnish 

14 dentures, dental appliances’’; and 

15 (ii) by striking ‘‘to be furnished by the 

16 Secretary under this section may be pro17 cured by the Secretary’’ and inserting 

18 ‘‘under this section and may procure such 

19 appliances’’; and 

20 (4) by striking section 2062. 

21 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such title is fur22 ther amended— 

23 (1) in section 1525(a), by striking ‘‘medicines 

24 under section 1712(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘medicines 

25 under section 1712(b)’’; and 


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1 (2) in section 1703(a)(7), by striking ‘‘, for a 

2 veteran described in section 1712(a)(1)(F) of this 

3 title’’. 

4 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—Such title is further 

5 amended— 

6 (1) in section 1712, in the heading for such sec7 tion, by striking ‘‘Dental care’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘Appliances’’; 

9 (2) in the table of sections at the beginning of 

10 chapter 17, by striking the item relating to section 

11 1712 and inserting the following new item: 

‘‘1712. Appliances; drugs and medicines for certain disabled veterans; vaccines.’’; 

12 and 

13 (3) in the table of sections at the beginning of 

14 chapter 20, by striking the item relating to section 

15 2062. 

16 SEC. 302. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON TRAINING AND 

17 EMPLOYMENT OF ALTERNATIVE DENTAL 

18 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS FOR DENTAL 

19 HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR VETERANS IN 

20 RURAL AND OTHER UNDERSERVED COMMU21 NITIES. 

22 (a) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The 

23 Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out a demonstra24 tion program to establish programs to train and employ 


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1 alternative dental health care providers in order to in2 crease access to dental health care services for veterans 

3 who are entitled to such services from the Department of 

4 Veterans Affairs and reside in rural and other underserved 

5 communities. 

6 (b) TELEHEALTH.—For purposes of alternative den7 tal health care providers and other dental care providers 

8 who are licensed to provide clinical care, dental services 

9 provided under the demonstration program under this sec10 tion may be administered by such providers through tele11 health-enabled collaboration and supervision when appro12 priate and feasible. 

13 (c) ALTERNATIVE DENTAL HEALTH CARE PRO14 VIDERS DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘alternative 

15 dental health care providers’’ has the meaning given that 

16 term in section 340G–1(a)(2) of the Public Health Service 

17 Act (42 U.S.C. 256g–1(a)(2)). 

18 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec20 essary to carry out the demonstration program under this 

21 section. 


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1 Subtitle B—Department of Defense 

2 Matters 

3 SEC. 311. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON TRAINING AND 

4 EMPLOYMENT OF ALTERNATIVE DENTAL 

5 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS FOR DENTAL 

6 HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR MEMBERS OF 

7 THE ARMED FORCES AND DEPENDENTS 

8 LACKING READY ACCESS TO SUCH SERVICES. 

9 (a) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The 

10 Secretary of Defense may carry out a demonstration pro11 gram to establish programs to train and employ alter12 native dental health care providers in order to increase ac13 cess to dental health care services for members of the 

14 Armed Forces and their dependents who lack ready access 

15 to such services, including the following: 

16 (1) Members and dependents who reside in 

17 rural areas or areas otherwise underserved by dental 

18 health care providers. 

19 (2) Members of the National Guard and Re20 serves in active status who are potentially 

21 deployable. 

22 (b) TELEHEALTH.—For purposes of alternative den23 tal health care providers and other dental care providers 

24 who are licensed to provide clinical care, dental services 

25 provided under the demonstration program under this secVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:17 Mar 06, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S570.IS S570

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1 tion may be administered by such providers through tele2 health-enabled collaboration and supervision when appro3 priate and feasible. 

4 (c) ALTERNATIVE DENTAL HEALTH CARE PRO5 VIDERS DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘alternative 

6 dental health care providers’’ has the meaning given that 

7 term in section 340G–1(a)(2) of the Public Health Service 

8 Act (42 U.S.C. 256g–1(a)(2)). 

9 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

10 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec11 essary to carry out the demonstration program under this 

12 section. 

13 TITLE IV—FEDERAL BUREAU OF 

14 PRISONS 

15 SEC. 401. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON TRAINING AND 

16 EMPLOYMENT OF ALTERNATIVE DENTAL 

17 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS FOR DENTAL 

18 HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR PRISONERS 

19 WITHIN THE CUSTODY OF THE BUREAU OF 

20 PRISONS. 

21 (a) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The 

22 Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Bu23 reau of Prisons, may carry out a demonstration program 

24 to establish programs to train and employ alternative den25 tal health care providers in order to increase access to denVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:17 Mar 06, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S570.IS S570

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1 tal health services for prisoners within the custody of the 

2 Bureau of Prisons. 

3 (b) TELEHEALTH.—For purposes of alternative den4 tal health care providers and any other dental care pro5 viders who are licensed to provide clinical care, dental 

6 services provided under the demonstration program under 

7 this section may be administered by such providers 

8 through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision 

9 when deemed appropriate and feasible. 

10 (c) ALTERNATIVE DENTAL HEALTH CARE PRO11 VIDERS DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘alternative 

12 dental health care providers’’ has the meaning given that 

13 term in section 340G–1(a)(2) of the Public Health Service 

14 Act (42 U.S.C. 256g–1(a)(2)). 

15 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

16 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec17 essary to carry out the demonstration program under this 

18 section. 


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1 TITLE V—INDIAN HEALTH 

2 SERVICE 

3 SEC. 501. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON TRAINING AND 

4 EMPLOYMENT OF ALTERNATIVE DENTAL 

5 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS FOR DENTAL 

6 HEALTH CARE SERVICES UNDER THE INDIAN 

7 HEALTH SERVICE. 

8 (a) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The 

9 Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 

10 the Indian Health Service, may carry out a demonstration 

11 program to establish programs to train and employ alter12 native dental health care providers in order to help elimi13 nate oral health disparities and increase access to dental 

14 services through health programs operated by the Indian 

15 Health Service, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and 

16 urban Indian organizations (as those terms are defined in 

17 section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 

18 U.S.C. 1603)). 

19 (b) TELEHEALTH.—For purposes of alternative den20 tal health care providers and any other dental care pro21 viders who are licensed to provide clinical care, dental 

22 services provided under the demonstration program under 

23 this section may be administered by such providers 

24 through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision 

25 when deemed appropriate and feasible. 


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1 (c) ALTERNATIVE DENTAL HEALTH CARE PRO2 VIDERS DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘alternative 

3 dental health care providers’’ has the meaning given that 

4 term in section 340G–1(a)(2) of the Public Health Service 

5 Act (42 U.S.C. 256g–1(a)(2)). 

6 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

7 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec8 essary to carry out the demonstration program under this 

9 section. 

10 TITLE VI—REPORTS TO 

11 CONGRESS 

12 SEC. 601. REPORTS ON ENROLLMENT IN COVERAGE FOR 

13 ORAL HEALTH SERVICES. 

14 (a) SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV15 ICES.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 

16 submit to Congress the following reports: 

17 (1) COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS.—Not later than 

18 October 1, 2019, a report that provides a com19 prehensive cost-benefit analysis regarding the expan20 sion of coverage for dental services pursuant to this 

21 Act, including whether the provision of such services 

22 resulted in a reduction in total health care costs for 

23 individuals under the Medicare and Medicaid pro24 grams. 


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1 (2) ANNUAL REPORT ON ENROLLMENT, UTILI2 ZATION, AND EXPENDITURES IN DENTAL INSURANCE

3 PLANS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the 

4 enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, an 

5 annual report containing detailed information on— 

6 (A) enrollment in private insurance plans 

7 providing pediatric and adult dental coverage, 

8 whether such coverage is provided through a 

9 qualified health plan (as defined in section 

10 1301(a) of Public Law 111–148) or a stand11 alone dental plan; 

12 (B) the utilization of oral health services 

13 by children and adults who receive dental cov14 erage under a qualified health plan or a stand15 alone dental plan; and 

16 (C) expenditures related to oral health 

17 services by individuals and families who receive 

18 dental coverage in a qualified health plan or 

19 stand-alone dental plan. 

20 (b) COMPTROLLER GENERAL.— 

21 (1) MEDICAID AND MEDICARE.—Not later than 

22 January 1, 2019, the Comptroller General of the 

23 United States shall submit to Congress a report that 

24 provides a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of 

25 the implementation and utilization of the expanded 


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1 coverage for dental services pursuant to this Act for 

2 individuals enrolled in the Medicare and Medicaid 

3 programs. 

4 (2) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS.—Not later 

5 than January 1, 2019, the Comptroller General of 

6 the United States shall submit to Congress a report 

7 that provides a comprehensive analysis and evalua8 tion of the demonstration programs described in sec9 tions 302, 311, 401, and 501, including— 

10 (A) the extent to which the programs im11 proved access to oral health care and increased 

12 utilization of oral health services; and 

13 (B) an examination of the training pro14 vided under the programs to alternative dental 

15 health care providers and the quality of care 

16 provided by such providers. 

Æ 


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