[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E488-E489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE LIFE OF DEAMONTE DRIVER AND CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 2010

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of a 
young Maryland boy, Deamonte Driver, whose life was cut drastically 
short when an untreated tooth infection spread to his brain. I also 
rise to recognize Children's Dental Health Month with hope in my heart 
and a renewed steadfast commitment to ensuring that all children across 
this great nation will have access to quality dental healthcare.
  Deamonte's tragic death haunts me to this day.
  Eighty dollars worth of dental care might have saved his life, but he 
never got that care.
  As many of you know, I have made it my personal mission to ensure 
that from this boy's untimely death, we will bring hope and life.
  With the passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program 
Reauthorization Act of 2009 (H.R. 2/PL 111-3) and the American Recovery 
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1/ PL 111-5), we have made 
significant progress to provide dental care to children.
  Notably, the SCHIP Reauthorization mandated for the first time that 
children eligible for the program receive dental coverage.
  It also included several critical provisions aimed at improving 
children's access to dental care, each of which was included in a bill 
I introduced, H.R. 462, the Medicaid-SCHIP Dental Benefits Improvement 
Act of 2009.
  Specifically the bill:
  Guarantees a dental benefit for children covered by SCHIP that 
includes preventive, restorative, and emergency dental care;
  Provides dental education for parents of newborns;

[[Page E489]]

  Allows community health centers to contract with private dentists for 
the purpose of providing dental care under Medicaid and SCHIP;
  Requires states to report the status of children's oral health for 
children covered by Medicaid and SCHIP;
  Improves access to dental provider information for Medicaid and SCHIP 
patients through the Insure Kids Now website (www.insurekidsnow.gov) 
and hotline (1-877-KIDS-NOW);
  Requires the GAO to conduct a study assessing children's access to 
dental care within 18 months of the bill's enactment; and
  Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
core set of child health quality measures for assessing states' 
Medicaid and SCHIP programs, including measures for the availability of 
dental services and the quality of pediatric dental care.
  I was also extremely pleased that we included language in the bill to 
provide ``wrap around'' dental benefits to children who are eligible 
for SCHIP but have private medical insurance that does not include 
dental insurance.
  The Recovery Act included an estimated $87 billion over two years in 
additional federal matching funds to help states maintain their 
Medicaid programs which provide dental health services to low-income 
children.
  I rise today with a renewed commitment to oral health which is an 
integral component of overall health.
  Hundreds of thousands of Deamonte Drivers are walking the streets of 
America every day in unbearable pain--unable to concentrate in school, 
unable to eat and speak properly, and at risk for serious disease or 
even death.
  We simply cannot relent until every single one of those children gets 
the care he or she needs to end this needless suffering--and to prevent 
it in future generations.
  During Children's Dental Health Month, I thank the many partners who 
have joined me in this effort, specifically the Children's Dental 
Health Project, the American Dental Association, the National Dental 
Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, the American 
Dental Education Association, the American Hygienists Association, and 
the UnitedHealth Group.
  It is through sound legislative initiatives and partnerships like 
these that give me hope:
  Hope that we can prevent the single most common childhood chronic 
disease which is tooth decay.
  Hope that our children, regardless of race or economic status will 
have access to proper dental care.
  Hope that as we pledge never to forget the life of Deamonte Driver, 
we strive to ensure that not one more child will suffer his fate.

                          ____________________