Pasco Reporter

President Biden has enacted the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This legislation aims to modernize care and benefits for veterans and their families by expanding economic opportunities, simplifying the disability claims process, reforming services for aging veterans, and enhancing mental health support.

A significant component of this new law is a provision championed by Congressman Gus Bilirakis through his VETCARE Act. This provision establishes a pilot program that grants veterans with chronic health conditions access to dental care. Currently, only about 9% of all veterans receive oral health care through the VA, restricted to those with full disability rates or service-connected dental disabilities.

Scientific evidence underscores the importance of oral health as part of overall wellness. Untreated dental conditions can worsen chronic health issues like diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, millions are spent annually on emergency room visits due to untreated oral infections.

The newly signed legislation introduces a pilot project providing oral treatment to select veterans with chronic conditions managed by the VA. The aim is to demonstrate potential cost savings for the VA by offering preventative dental care.

"Our Veterans have sacrificed so much on behalf of our country; they deserve access to high-quality healthcare, and that includes dental care," said Bilirakis. "This pilot program will get the ball rolling to expand access to dental care for our nation's heroes and could result in lower overall healthcare costs for the VA." He also expressed gratitude towards Dr. Zach Kalarickal, a veteran dentist from Wesley Chapel, who played a crucial role in advancing this legislation through technical support and foundational research.