THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	6
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging the united states congress to require adult dental coverage under medicaid and dental coverage under medicare.

WHEREAS, oral health is a critical but often overlooked component of overall health and well-being; and

WHEREAS, good oral health can be achieved through preventive care, regular self-care, and the early detection, treatment, and management of problems; however, many people suffer from poor oral health, which can have adverse impacts on a person's general health and quality of life, such as loss of appetite, difficulty eating, tooth loss, and chronic pain; and

WHEREAS, research has also identified associations between chronic oral infections and diabetes, heart and lung disease, stroke, and poor birth outcomes; and

WHEREAS, the prevalence of dental disease and tooth loss is disproportionately high amongst low-income individuals; and

WHEREAS, poor oral health also affects older Americans; for example, according to the American Dental Association, one fifth of people over age seventy-five have not seen a dentist in the past five years; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid, the major health coverage program for low-income Americans, provides a comprehensive mandatory dental benefit package for children; however, federal law does not require dental benefits for adults covered by Medicaid; and

WHEREAS, although states are given the option to offer adult dental benefits to Medicaid recipients, most states provide only limited coverage; and

WHEREAS, Medicare, which generally covers medical care for Americans age sixty-five and older, does not include routine dental care; furthermore, many seniors lose coverage through other insurance plans when they retire; and

WHEREAS, lack of regular dental care can drive up overall health care costs; and

WHEREAS, with regular preventive care, most oral health problems can be avoided or curtailed, but without proper oral health care, people may seek treatment in emergency rooms, often with problems that are more expensive to treat; and

WHEREAS, according to the American Dental Association, there are more than 2,000,000 visits each year to hospital emergency rooms for dental pain, with uninsured individuals and Medicaid enrollees seeking dental care via the emergency room more frequently than those with insurance; and

WHEREAS, including dental coverage under Medicaid and Medicare would improve access to dental care, would improve oral health amongst lower-income Americans and seniors, and could ultimately have a positive overall impact in the form of decreased Medicaid and Medicare spending; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the House of Representatives concurring, that the United States Congress is urged to require adult dental coverage under Medicaid and dental coverage under Medicare; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Dental Coverage; Medicaid; Medicare; Congress