Senate Committee Advances Bipartisan Bill to Address Healthcare Workforce and Oral Health

On September 21, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act, a crucial piece of legislation that aims to sustain various workforce programs, including those focused on oral health. Introduced by Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan), the bill secured a 14 to 7 vote, with bipartisan support. The bill’s provisions include reauthorizing essential priorities such as workforce grants for dental programs, scholarships, and loan repayment programs for the National Health Service Corps, the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program (which trains dentists in rural areas), and support for community health centers delivering vital oral healthcare to underserved populations. Click here to read more.