(S)CHIP II: What's in it for dental, where did it come from, where to now?

On February 4, 2009 President Obama signed into law the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that contains eight new oral health provisions. These provisions represent a range of public policies and priorities designed to improve children's oral health and their use of dental services. For example, stabilizing the dental benefit reflects equity in dental coverage. Defining dental services reflects essential content of care. State reporting requirements reflects a need for accountability. Natal oral health education reflects the potential for early preventive intervention. This presentation describes the political processes leading to securing these new provisions including use of data, development of key messages, engagement of champions and coalitions, educating Members of Congress through briefings and publications, testifying in Hearings, use of “sign-on letters,” and leveraging the press. This presentation details the dental provisions in CHIP, describes how those provisions will move through regulatory and programmatic actions by the Administration, and enumerates the opportunities and options for public health advocates to maximize the impact of this new legislation in improved oral health for vulnerable children.