Dental Care for Veterans Act

House Bill

H.R. 210

119th Congress

Dental Care for Veterans Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 13, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Elise M. Stefanik

Representative

Republican

NY-21

Cosponsors

62

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Armed Forces and National Security

Summary

This bill expands VA dental care eligibility to all enrolled veterans, phased in over four years. Currently only veterans with service-connected dental issues or narrow qualifying criteria receive dental care. Eligibility phases in based on disability rating, POW status, Purple Heart awards, and financial need.

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill expands VA dental care eligibility to all enrolled veterans, phased in over four years. Currently only veterans with service-connected dental issues or narrow qualifying criteria receive dental care. Eligibility phases in based on disability rating, POW status, Purple Heart awards, and financial need.

Last updated: 1/5/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Dental Care for Veterans Act This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services. The bill phases in eligibility over four years based upon existing eligibility, degree of service-connected disability or other disability, prisoner of war status, award of a Purple Heart, financial need, or VA health care eligibility.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Expands VA dental care to all enrolled veterans
Phases in eligibility over four years
Prioritizes service-connected disabilities first
Includes POW and Purple Heart recipients
Considers financial need for eligibility

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

Millions of veterans would gain access to VA dental care for the first time. Dental health, which affects overall health, would improve for the veteran population. The phased approach prioritizes those with greatest service-connected needs first.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Armed Forces and National Security

Related Subjects

Dental care

Health care coverage and access

Health technology, devices, supplies

Veterans' medical care

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

210, 119th Congress (2025). "Dental Care for Veterans Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-210