Bill > S4357

This bill, the Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2024, aims to improve access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for oral health services, including definitions for "oral health services" and requirements for mobile and portable oral health services. It also increases federal funding for Medicaid dental services. 2. Enhancing the National Health Service Corps and community-based dental residencies and training programs to increase the oral health workforce, especially in underserved areas. 3. Providing funding and support for oral health education for medical providers, non-health professionals, and dental students, as well as establishing a new student loan program for oral health professionals. 4. Creating new grant programs to increase access to oral health services through initiatives like school-based dental clinics, care coordination in emergency departments, and mobile/portable dental services. 5. Designating oral health services as an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act. 6. Requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide dental care in the same manner as other medical services and establishing related workforce and education programs. The bill aims to address disparities in oral health access and outcomes, particularly for low-income, underserved, and vulnerable populations, through a multi-faceted approach focused on expanding coverage, building the oral health workforce, and innovating service delivery models.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4357/all-info