|
Calm After the Storm
on Capitol Hill
 Capitol Hill was relatively
quiet this week following a lively debate in the U.S. House of Representatives over
its health reform package, which passed on Saturday
night in a 220-215 vote. Lawmakers in
both chambers emptied out of Washington to return to their home districts for the Veteran's Day holiday. The U.S. Senate
will be back to work on Monday on its health reform package, which still awaits
a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget
Office. Their timeframe for action will
be short; however, as they are scheduled to leave town again in one week for Thanksgiving. Some reports
have indicated that
the Senate will not complete its work on health
reform until December, possibly pushing final passage into the New Year. |
|
CDHP Releases House Health Reform Toolbox
CDHP has developed a "toolbox" to help advocates and
policymakers analyze the oral health provisions in the House's health reform
bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962). The toolbox includes talking points for oral
health advocates, a two-page summary of the oral health provisions in the bill,
and a full listing of oral health provisions in the bill, including legislative
language.
To view the toolbox, visit
CDHP's web site.
|
|
Make Your Voice
Heard:
Key Oral Health Messages
Contact your Senators and Representatives today to schedule a meeting to
talk about the importance of oral health. Specifically, we recommend that you
make the following key points:
- Preserve the pediatric dental benefit. All five committees of
jurisdiction in the House and Senate passed bills that required health plans
offered through the exchange to provide pediatric oral health services. The
merged bill introduced by House Speaker Pelosi on 10/29 (H.R. 3962) retains this
provision. Given the importance of oral health to overall health, this is an
essential element of the children's benefits package and must be included in any
bill sent to the President.
- Defer to the House on oral health expertise. H.R. 3962 also
requires that the Health Benefits Advisory Committee charged with overseeing the
Health Benefits Exchange must include experts in oral health. The Senate is
silent on this issue. Because oral health and overall health have not been
traditionally integrated, experts in oral health will be necessary to help
ensure appropriate decisions are made with respect to coverage, benefit design,
system delivery and quality.
- Maintain oral health workforce provisions. Language was
included in the final House bill and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions (HELP) Committee bill to expand training programs for dentists and fund
demonstration grants for midlevel providers. Access to care is dependent on a
sufficient investment in the oral health workforce.
- Ensure that tax provisions do not harm oral health. Proposed taxes
on health savings accounts and insurers threaten dental coverage. The most
efficient strategy to address these threats is to include exemptions to these
taxes for dental expenses.
|
