CDHP Health Care Reform Update 8/28/09: Mourning the Loss of a True Champion for Children and Oral Health

As our nation and the world reflect on the legacy of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, we here at CDHP are mourning the loss of a true champion for children and oral health. In his nearly five decades of service, Senator Kennedy shepherded through landmark health care legislation, the culmination of which was to be passage of health reform that guarantees coverage for all, which he referred to as "the cause of my life." His passion for public service coupled with his ability to reach across the aisle and find compromise made him a skillful legislator who won victories on multiple fronts, including oral health. Notably, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee that he chaired was the first to come out with a health reform bill that included a dental benefit for children. We applaud Senator Kennedy and his staff for understanding the critical link between the mouth and the body-and we hope that his successor will continue to do so.

As Congress prepares to come back into session after Labor Day, the future of health reform is as uncertain as ever. It remains to be seen whether Senator Kennedy's colleagues will continue to be gridlocked or will craft a compromise in the bipartisan spirit for which he was known. Leadership is hopeful that they will regain their footing on health reform despite the increasingly aggressive ad wars that lawmakers are facing back home. In the House of Representatives, staff has been working to reconcile differences between the bills that were passed out of the three committees of jurisdiction. Before the legislation is finalized, the Energy and Commerce Committee will meet to consider the approximately fifty amendments that it failed to consider before adjournment, including a key CDHP-supported amendment to add oral health expertise to the health benefits advisory committee. Once that committee's work is complete, the legislation will be moved to the floor for a vote. The goal is to pass the legislation before the end of September. In the Senate, the so-called "Gang of Six" has been meeting by phone and in person over the month of August to arrive at a bipartisan agreement in the Senate Finance Committee. Committee Chairman Max Baucus has said he plans to introduce a bill by mid-September. If all goes as planned, President Obama could have a bill on his desk before the end of the year.