Baldwin, Capito, Blumenthal Introduce Dental Care for Our Troops Act
Bipartisan legislation would provide all Reserve and National Guard Members access to premium-free dental coverage
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Dental Care for Our Troops Act, bipartisan legislation that would ensure that every service member has premium-free dental care.
The Dental Care for Our Troops Act would waive premiums and co-pays in the TRICARE Dental Program for all members of the reserve components. In addition to guaranteeing dental insurance, this legislation would ensure that all servicemembers are ready to deploy and serve our country when called upon.
Dental health is vital to military readiness, and despite being responsible for their own deployability, reserve component service members must cover their own dental insurance and dental procedures. Cigna Health calculates that adults who practice preventive oral health care can save 31 percent in dental costs over five years. Likewise, adults who don’t receive preventive care can expect a 43 percent increase to their annual dental costs over the same period of time. Letting reserve component servicemembers go without dental insurance presents a readiness and total cost risk.
“Dental care in our National Guard and Reserve is a growing issue, keeping tens of thousands of troops from being able to deploy and serve our country. I have heard firsthand how a lack of access to dental care affects military readiness, and this legislation helps provide the access to care our troops deserve and need,” Senator Capito said. “I am continually impressed by the men and women who serve in the West Virginia National Guard and the broad array of missions they support around the world. Our military relies heavily on the ability of National Guard and Reserve members, and I will continue to put forward solutions that support them.”
Bipartisan companion legislation was also introduced in the House, led by Representatives Andy Kim (D-NJ-03) and Trent Kelly (R-MS-01).
The Dental Care for Our Troops Act is supported by VoteVets, Reserve Organization of America, National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), Naval Enlisted Reserve Association, and the Air Force Sergeants Association.
More information on the Dental Care for Our Troops Act is available here.
An online version of this release is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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