Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Friends of NIDCR tracks legislation that affects our members. By clicking on the links below you can receive a summary of the bill and identify its co-sponsors. Please check to see if your member is a co-sponsor of these important pieces of legislation.

H.R.2472: Essential Oral Health Care Act of 2007. The bill amends titles V and XIX of the Social Security Act to improve essential oral health care for lower-income individuals under the Maternal and Child Health Program and the Medicaid Program and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to dentists for dental services provided to low-income individuals. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-4-MD) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-2-ID) introduced the bill. It does not have a Senate companion.

H.R.2820: The Reconstructive Surgery Act of 2007. The bill requires health insurance coverage for certain reconstructive surgery. Rep. Mike Ross (D-4-AR) introduced the bill on June 21, 2007. It does not have a companion bill in the Senate.

H.R.1781: Children’s Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007. The legislation has four main provisions chief of which is to improve delivery of pediatric dental services under Medicaid and SCHIP. Rep. John Dingell (D-15-MI), who chairs the Committee on Energy and Commerce, introduced the bill. The bill has a Senate companion, S.739, introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).

SCHIP Expansion: First Step of Health Care Reform
With a new Administration forthcoming, the House quickly passed expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on January 15, 2009. The legislation includes dental coverage. The Senate is expected to pass its version by the end of January. This is viewed as the first step of an incremental approach to health care reform. President Bush's extension of SCHIP expires March 31, 2009.

S.3064: The Oral Health Initiative Act of 2008. The bill establishes a multi-faceted approach to improve access and eliminate disparities in oral health care. It establishes an Oral Health Working Group and an advisory panel. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the legislation, and it has one co-sponsor, Sen. Sue Collins (R-ME).