[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 34 (Thursday, February 26, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BURR:
  S. 498. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize 
dental insurance for veterans and survivors and dependents of veterans, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to once again introduce 
legislation that would give our veterans, surviving spouses, and 
certain dependent children the option to buy dental insurance coverage 
through the Department of Veterans' Affairs, VA. My bill is based on a 
very successful program that has been in place since 1998 for military 
retirees and their families.
  Under the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program, TRDP, military retirees are 
given the option to purchase dental coverage through the Department of 
Defense. Since the program started, over 1 million eligible 
participants have chosen to buy dental coverage through this plan, 
including over 56,000 in my home State of North Carolina. Those 
individuals have access to a network of about 112,000 dental plan 
providers across the Nation. Premiums range from $14 to $48 per month 
per person, depending on the region and type of dental plan selected. 
With this kind of success, it seems only fitting that we offer the same 
kind of benefit to our veterans.
  VA runs the largest integrated health care system in the Nation. 
Although VA provides dental benefits to the 7.9 million veterans 
enrolled in the healthcare system, these benefits are either limited to 
a select group of people or can only be provided under very limited 
circumstances. For example, VA provides comprehensive dental care to 
veterans for 180 days after they leave service; who have service-
related dental conditions; who are in nursing homes and require dental 
care; or who fall under other very strict guidelines.
  My bill would supplement this limited coverage by giving veterans and 
survivors the option to purchase a more comprehensive dental plan. Of 
course, many veterans may have dental coverage through their employers 
or through an individual policy. My bill extends this dental plan 
option to all enrolled veterans.
  As I mentioned, the bill is modeled after the successful program that 
is now offered to TRICARE retirees. Federal employees also have access 
to a similar benefit option for dental coverage. Like these other 
programs, this VA program would be entirely voluntary and provide 
needed coverage from a network of dental professionals in local 
communities.
  This bill would not replace VA's dental services; it is just another 
option for those who want to have access to group insurance rates that 
they could not otherwise get on their own. This idea is like the 44 
year relationship VA has with Prudential, who provides active duty 
servicemembers and veterans with group life insurance policies. The 
most important part of the relationship is that servicemembers and 
veterans get to reap the benefits of group rates and competition.
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