[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 5179] [From the U.S. 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; 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. ____________________