Westbank Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, addressed the Senate during a hearing on dental care in the United States. During his speech, Cassidy emphasized the importance of access to quality dental care and urged for greater bipartisan cooperation in crafting legislation to address health workforce shortages.

"We have spoken about access to quality health care, but there should also be a focus on access to quality dental care," said Cassidy. He called for teamwork and cooperation in order to secure member priorities on both sides of the dais and better represent Americans.

Cassidy also expressed concern over other urgent issues impacting constituents' lives that he believes should be addressed by the committee. He cited antisemitism spreading on college campuses and issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application as examples.

Furthermore, Cassidy criticized calls for mandating dental coverage under Medicare and Medicaid, arguing that these approaches ignore reasons why many dental providers oppose more federal government intervention. "They don’t want the significant red tape and bureaucracy that is causing issues in other areas of health care," he stated.

The senator also highlighted the importance of promoting a sufficient dental care workforce that serves patients where they live, including in rural and underserved areas. "That is why promoting a sufficient dental care workforce that serves patients where they live, including in rural and underserved areas is so important," said Cassidy.

He ended his remarks by expressing anticipation for learning more about how to responsibly improve dental care for all Americans during the testimony at the hearing.