The U.S. Senate has given unanimous approval to a bipartisan amendment, authored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), that would increase funding for the Collins-Feingold Dental Health Improvement Act. The amendment, which is now included in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill currently being debated in the Senate, would double funding for the program from $2 million to $4 million in fiscal year 2008.
Senators Collins and Feingold wrote the Collins-Feingold Dental Health Improvement Act, which became law in 2002, and authorizes funds to help States develop innovative dental workforce development programs tailored to their individual needs.
“Dental care is an integral part of overall health care, and this funding will help improve access to oral health care in areas of Maine that are currently underserved,” said Senator Collins. “In Maine, there is one general practice dentist for every 2,300 people in the Portland area. The numbers drop off dramatically, however, in other parts of our state. In Aroostook County, for example, there is only one dentist for every 5,500 people. And, of the practicing dentists in Aroostook County, only a few are taking on any new cases.”
In 2006, Maine received a two-year grant in the amount of $109,622 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a result of this program. The money was intended to help improve access to oral health care by strengthening the dental workforce in Maine’s rural and underserved communities.
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