Dental care is essential to overall health.

Poor oral hygiene is linked to ailments ranging from heart conditions to Alzheimer’s disease. Health care providers continue to beat the drum that what impacts the mouth can have devastating, life-threatening effects on other parts of the body.

However, veterans must clear lofty bars to be eligible for dental care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Of the 9 million veterans receiving VA health care, just 600,000 qualified to see a VA dentist in 2022. Most veterans do not meet the VA’s strict eligibility criteria and many struggle with finding an accessible, affordable dentist, according to the American Institute of Dental Public Health.

But a pair of bills introduced in Congress would expand VA dental care to veterans living with diabetes and heart disease. The Improving Whole Health for Veterans with Chronic Conditions Act (H.R. 4150/S. 1954) would authorize and fund a pilot program for VA to provide such care to veterans living with these diseases and enrolled in VA care.

The bills were introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley of California and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The legislation has garnered the support of 11 other senators.

“The evidence is very clear that a person’s oral health is directly linked to a person’s general health,” Sanders said in a statement last June. “This pilot program would be an important step toward delivering essential dental care to veterans who really need it so that no veteran is left behind.”

“We simply cannot address veterans’ whole health without also addressing the critical and dire need for dental care,” added Brownley. “I am proud to author the House companion to Senator Sanders’ bill, and I look forward to working with him and our colleagues on the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees to expand dental coverage to more veterans.”

Providing more dental access also makes fiscal sense as the Institute projects the Department could save an estimated $3.4 billion in medical costs by expanding access to veterans with heart disease and diabetes, nearly 1.5 times the annual budget for dental care.

DAV recognizes the importance of routine, high-quality dental care to all disabled veterans receiving VA health care to ensure their whole health needs are met.

“Over 27,000 of our members and supporters have already sent messages to their elected officials to support these crucial pieces of legislation through DAV CAN [Commander’s Action Network],” said DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem. “Expanding VA dental care is not only a popular idea, it is the right thing to do—particularly for veterans living with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.”

 

Find updates to other major veteran legislation by joining DAV CAN (Commander’s Action Network) at davcan.org.