Veterans’ access to care bill signed into law

President Joe Biden signed a bill into law Jan. 2 that addresses home care and caregiver programs provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The legislation, known as the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, intends to enhance the lives of veterans and their caregivers by modernizing the delivery of care and benefits, including dental. It includes provisions to improve veterans’ long-term care, mental health resources, education, job training and caregiver programs. 

The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to approve the bill, and the U.S. House of Representatives approved it in a 382-12 vote in December. 

Prior to the bill’s passage, the American Dental Association sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., advocating for veterans’ access to high-quality dental care. The letter called for comprehensive care offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs Dentistry or through the service of private dentists. 

“The ADA also strongly believes that VA Dentistry deserves the necessary support that would better enable it to provide access to oral health care for more veterans. We believe that this bill would offer increased and improved access to VA dental benefits for veterans and would further increase access through support for VA dentists and the Veterans Community Care Program,” reads the letter.