BillWatch.us: H1781

Bill Summary

H1781: To provide disadvantaged children with access to primary dental care services [0 comments]

Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to improve dental services to children enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP); (2) include dental services as a basic service under SCHIP; and (3) allow states to provide wrap-around coverage under SCHIP for dental services to privately-insured children.
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments for dental residency programs.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish a grant program to expand the availability of primary dental care services in dental health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas. Authorizes retention bonuses for eligible dental officers of the Indian Health Service.
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of HRSA and the Director of the Indian Health Service, to establish demonstration projects to increase access to dental services for children in underserved areas.
Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an oral health initiative to reduce disparities in oral health; and (2) Chief Dental Officers for Medicaid and SCHIP, HRSA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Requires the Director of the CDC to collect data on dental, craniofacial, and oral health.
Requires the Secretary to identify populations at high risk for early childhood caries (tooth decay) and to develop prevention programs.
Revises the eligibility requirements for the school-based dental sealant program to include Indian tribes.
Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to states and Indian tribes to improve their basic capacity to improve the oral health of children and their families.