Children's Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-1781
Sponsor: Rep. Dingell, John D. [D-MI-15]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Child health
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Community health services
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Dental care
Dentistry
Dentists
Department of Health and Human Services
Disabled
Discrimination in medical care
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Families
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to child health services
Federal aid to education
Federal officials
Fringe benefits
Government Operations and Politics
Health education
Health insurance
Health surveys
Higher education
Indian children
Indian education
Indian medical care
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical residents
Medical statistics
Medically uninsured
Minorities
Nursing
Poor children
Preventive medicine
Public health personnel
Salaries
School health programs
Social Welfare

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Children's Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to improve dental services to children enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP); (2) include dental services as a basic service under SCHIP; and (3) allow states to provide wrap-around coverage under SCHIP for dental services to privately-insured children.
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments for dental residency programs.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish a grant program to expand the availability of primary dental care services in dental health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas. Authorizes retention bonuses for eligible dental officers of the Indian Health Service. 
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of HRSA and the Director of the Indian Health Service, to establish demonstration projects to increase access to dental services for children in underserved areas.

Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an oral health initiative to reduce disparities in oral health; and (2) Chief Dental Officers for Medicaid and SCHIP, HRSA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Requires the Director of the CDC to collect data on dental, craniofacial, and oral health. 

Requires the Secretary to identify populations at high risk for early childhood caries (tooth decay) and to develop prevention programs. 

Revises the eligibility requirements for the school-based dental sealant program to include Indian tribes. 

Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to states and Indian tribes to improve their basic capacity to improve the oral health of children and their families.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-04-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in House