CHIP Tips: Children's Oral Health Benefits

March 9, 2010


Published by: Center for Children and Families, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured and Children's Dental Health Project


Written with the Children's Dental Health Project, this brief examines a new requirement under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 that state CHIP programs cover comprehensive dental benefits. The reauthorization law also allows states with separate CHIP programs to offer a dental-only plan for children who have other health insurance but lack adequate dental benefits. Other oral health improvements in the law include education for new parents, better access to benefit and provider information and enhanced reporting on the quality of dental health services in Medicaid and CHIP.

Download CHIP Tips: Children's Oral Health Benefits (PDF)

This brief is part of a series that puts a spotlight on specific provisions of the CHIP law. Visit Putting the CHIP Law to Work for additional resources.