Ben Cardin

I'm grateful for all the work our health centers do to provide access to dental care and address disparities throughout Montana and the country.

Disparities in our health-care system are well documented--and the impact they have in regards to vulnerable communities.

Let me welcome everyone to the first meeting of the Subcommittee on Health Care of the Senate Finance Committee of this Congress.

Congress must ensure that Medicaid EPSDT advances efforts to promote the dental home concept.

Absolutely, and you know, a lot of our private dentists across Montana do not actually do extractions.

I want to thank Senator Wyden and Senator Crapo for their cooperation in the establishment of the subcommittee.

Maryland has a total cost of care model that came out of its hospital reimbursement structure which is now well beyond hospital care.

Everywhere we go, we have a shortage in the health-care fields.

Your longstanding bipartisan support saves lives.

I just really want to underscore the importance of our community health centers in providing dental care.

There is no health without oral health.

Thank you, Chairman Cardin and Ranking Member Daines, for this opportunity to testify.

I appreciate very much your support and your leadership on this issue.

We know that when States expand coverage and add dental benefits for adults in their Medicaid programs, it improves job prospects, most among Black beneficiaries.

So, we generally learn that where people train, they are more likely to stay.

There are some efforts now to deal with this through Medicare and through Medicaid, to expand coverage for adults.

I want to thank Chairman Cardin and Senator Blackburn for engaging CMS in support of this effort.

When we are talking about dentistry and establishing it in a hospital setting... you have your examination chair.

We have moved forward to expand the COVID-related telehealth services beyond COVID.

We estimated a $4-million savings per year to the Medicaid budget by expanding adult dental.

We had a choice to try to make some progress during the CHIP program, which obviously deals with our children.

Enforcement is going to be critically important. In a traditional agreement, there is an enforcement mechanism that leads, ultimately, to significant economic sanctions if the provisions are not carried out.

What worries me now is, we are going down a path in which you are using these framework agreements, bypassing the formal relationship with Congress.

I want to underscore the concerns I have moving forward.

There are few things that are more corrosive of democratic systems than corruption.