PORT BYRON, Ill. – In honor of Children’s Dental Health Month, state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, highlighted his effort to help ensure that children with special needs receive appropriate dental services.
“Is it important to be proactive about children’s oral care and to understand that children with developmental disabilities may need different accommodations for medical procedures,” Smiddy said. “This measure will help parents keep their children healthy and reduce the costs of dental bills.”
Smiddy sponsored House Bill 235 – which was signed into law in July of 2015 – and requires insurance companies to cover sedation during dental procedures for individuals aged 26 and younger who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Autistic patients often require sedation for regular dental exams and surgery, which can cost parents and guardians thousands of dollars.
“Everyone deserves to have accessible services available to them. Child dental care should be affordable as possible, to ease the financial burden on parents,” Smiddy said. “I am committed to working with my colleagues to find more solutions that help families who have children with special needs get the care that they need.”
For health tips or assistance finding a local dentist, the American Dental Association’s Children’s Dental Health Month website can be found at: http://www.ada.org/en/public-
House Bill 235 was signed into law in July of 2015 and took effect on Jan. 1, 2016
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