Congress on Thursday passed a continuing
resolution before leaving for the fall recess. The continuing resolution
is a joint legislative measure designed to fund the federal government until an
appropriations bill can be passed. This piece of legislation will allow a
number of government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human
Services, to operate at the current (FY 2010) funding levels through December
3, at which point Congress must either pass a second continuing resolution or a
full appropriations bill. Any money spent during the period covered by
the continuing resolution will be deducted from the new fiscal year.
Congress returns from recess November 15.
Because the continuing resolution continues FY 2010 funding levels, the work
previously done by Congress to provide new authorizations for the Affordable Care
Act (ACA) dental provisions for FY11 will have to wait. As you may
recall, this summer the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and the Senate Committee on
Appropriations passed funding bills. While the two chambers will need to
iron the differences between their respective proposals if Congress considers
an Appropriations bill for FY 2011, the Senate bill is currently more
supportive of oral health programs and initiatives. The Senate proposal
recommends significant funding increases for the CDC Division of Oral Health as
well as primary care dentistry training and workforce improvement
programs. However, neither the House nor Senate proposals go far enough
in terms of addressing funding for the newly authorized oral health provisions.
The oral health provisions in ACA are necessary to effectively support the
pediatric dental benefit and enhance existing oral health infrastructure and it
is important for Congress to fully understand the implications of not funding
many of the new initiatives authorized by the ACA, particularly those designed
to enhance cost effective prevention based activities.
It is important that advocates continue to put pressure on
their representatives so that every new oral health
program receives adequate seed money in FY 2011 or FY 2012. When speaking
with your representatives, we encourage you to use the
talking points adapted from the sign on letter sent to Senator Harkin and Congressman Obey in
May.
