Advocates urge funding for state-paid dental care for Connecticut veterans

Sandra Fiera Molina, policy and advocacy director for the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, urged the Appropriations Committee to fund a state-supported dental program for eligible Connecticut veterans as part of the governor’s proposed budget (referred to in testimony as line item 12655). "It is deeply distressing that the men and women who put their lives at stake to protect our freedom return home only to find that they have no dental coverage," Sandra said.

Sandra told the committee that, under current rules, veterans typically qualify for VA dental care only if their mouth was affected by a service‑connected injury or if they are 100% disabled. She cited statewide veteran population estimates and racial and demographic disparities in need: testimony gave a Connecticut veteran estimate of about 153,087 and argued many veterans who have medical insurance lack VA dental benefits. She also highlighted health links between untreated dental disease and conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

The witness urged full funding of the identified budget line and described restorative services — fillings, crowns and dentures — as essential to veterans’ dignity and long-term health, saying the program would reduce emergency-room visits and health-care expenditures over time.

The committee closed the public comment portion for this topic after the testimony; no formal vote on the line item took place during the hearing.