Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2013

Bill: 113-hr-3120
Sponsor: Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7]
Introduced: 2013-09-18 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Child health
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Dental care
Department of Health and Human Services
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government information and archives
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Indian social and development programs
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Military medicine
Minority health
National Guard and reserves
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Research administration and funding
Rural conditions and development
Student aid and college costs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2013-09-18
text: 
Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2013 - 

Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to cover dental services. 
 
Increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for funding under Medicaid for dental services.
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to maintain a database containing information on each state regarding dental benefits available for adults enrolled in the state Medicaid program.
 
Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish, revise, and extend funding for grant programs for: (1) educating nondental medical and other professionals about oral health care; (2) providing dental services in hospital emergency rooms or in community settings; (3) providing scholarships and education loans for dental therapists and oral health professional students; (4) providing comprehensive oral health services to low-income individuals and individuals in underserved areas; (5) building, operating, or expanding dental clinics in schools; (6) funding research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent and manage oral health diseases; and (7) providing rural health clinics with mobile and portable, comprehensive dental services, including dentures, and outreach for senior-care facilities and facilities that provide federal health care and nutrition benefits for women and children.
 
 Authorizes appropriations for community based dental residencies.
 
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to declare oral health services to be an essential health benefit.
 

Removes restrictions on the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide dental care to veterans (thereby requiring such care on the same basis as other VA-provided medical care and services). Authorizes the VA to carry out a demonstration program to train and employ alternative dental health care providers in order to increase access to dental health care services for veterans in rural and other underserved communities.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to carry out a similar demonstration program to train and employ such providers in order to increase access to those dental services for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents who lack ready access to such services.
 
Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to carry out a demonstration program to establish programs to train and employ alternative dental health care providers to increase access to dental health services for prisoners within the custody of the Bureau of Prisons.
 
Allows dental services provided under the demonstration program to be administered by alternative dental health care providers and any other dental care providers who are licensed to provided clinical care, through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of HHS, through the Indian Health Service (IHS), to carry out a demonstration program to establish programs to train and employ alternative dental health care providers to help eliminate oral health disparities and increase access to dental services through health programs operated by the IHS, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations.
 
Allows dental services provided under the demonstration program to be administered by alternative dental health care providers and any other dental care providers licensed to provided clinical care, through telehealth-enabled collaboration and supervision.
 
Directs the Secretary of HHS to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the expansion of dental service coverage pursuant to this Act, including whether it resulted in a reduction in total health care costs for individuals under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
 
Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of: (1) the implementation and utilization of expanded dental service coverage under this Act for individuals enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, and (2) the demonstration programs authorized by this Act for the training and employment of alternative dental health care providers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-11-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2013-10-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
action_date: 2013-10-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2013-09-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee Indian and Alaska Native Affairs.
action_date: 2013-09-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2013-09-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services, 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: 2013-09-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services, 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: 2013-09-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services, 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: 2013-09-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services, 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: 2013-09-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services, 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: 2013-09-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services, 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: 2013-09-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2013-09-18
text: Introduced in House