The Maximizing Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for Health Care Act, or MOBILE Act, which gives community health centers more flexibility in using New Access Points grants for mobile health care units, passed in the House on Sept. 29.
The bill was passed in the Senate on Sept. 6. Now, with approval from both the House and Senate, the bill's future is contingent on the president's signature to become law.
American Dental Association president Cesar Sabates, DDS, and executive director Raymond Cohlmia, DDS, wrote a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Sept. 20 asking lawmakers to support the bill and request that mobile dental and medical vans, be included in the bill and be eligible for the New Access Points grants.
New Access Points funding gives operational support for new service delivery sites for the primary health care services.
"As an organization dedicated to improving the oral health of the public, the ADA recognizes the critical role that mobile dental units play in bringing care to underserved areas and populations and promoting oral health equity," Dr. Sabates and Dr. Cohlmia wrote.