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.

This brief is the sixth in a series of implementation briefs called "CHIP Tips," which examines new opportunities for covering children following the CHIP reauthorization. The series, which explores a range of topics, is jointly produced by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured and the Center for Children and Families at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute.

Issue Brief (.pdf)