Sen. Cardin Lauds Appointment of Chief Dental Officer at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 -- Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Maryland, issued the following statement on Aug. 30, 2021:

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U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a longtime champion for dental care who was responsible for guaranteed pediatric dental coverage in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), praised the appointment today of University of Maryland dentist Dr. Natalia Chalmers as the new Chief Dental Officer in the Office of the CMS Administrator. According to CMS, Dr. Chalmers will "guide CMS in advancing oral health in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Marketplace and Medicare."

"The appointment of Marylander and oral health policy expert Dr. Natalia Chalmers as the new CMS Chief Dental Officer is positive news.

"For the duration of the Trump administration, as I fought to improve dental care in federal health programs, I called for the vacancy in this critical role to be filled. A dental professional is an invaluable resource for CMS's oral health strategy to expand access to care and advance oral health equity, particularly given the connection between poor oral health and worse outcomes for chronic conditions.

"With this appointment, the Biden-Harris administration continues to deliver on the promise to care for the whole person and reduce health disparities.

"As Congress works to pass my legislation to provide a dental benefit in Medicare, I am eager to work with Dr. Chalmers to build upon the progress that has been made."