Bipartisan legislation to expand dental care access for veterans was recently introduced in the House of Representatives.
The SMILE for Veterans Act would establish a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to reimburse dental providers for services provided to veterans in rural communities.
Under current law, only about 15% of the nearly 9 million veterans enrolled in VA healthcare are eligible for dental coverage, with eligibility generally limited to veterans with service-connected dental conditions, a 100% disability rating or former prisoner-of-war status, according to a Sept. 25 news release.
The bill is supported by AMVETS, the National Rural Health Association and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
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