Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lawmakers hear push for veterans dental-access program as agency flags funding concerns
Summary
Advocates and dental groups urged passage of HB 5413 to cover preventive and medically necessary dental care for underserved veterans, while the state Department of Veterans' Affairs warned it lacks budgeted staff and clinical capacity to run the program as drafted.
Supporters and state officials sparred over how to provide dental care to Connecticut veterans during a Veterans and Military Affairs Committee public hearing.
John Carriger, deputy commissioner of Connecticut Veterans Affairs, told the committee he appreciates the intent of HB 5413 but that the department cannot support the bill as written because it is not in the governor’s budget and the agency lacks clinical staff and technical expertise to operate a dental-access program. "This program is not included in the governor's budget, and Connecticut Veterans Affairs does not have the resources in terms of both personnel and expertise to operate this program," Carriger said, adding that the department would execute any mission that is appropriately funded.
The hearing featured repeated, detailed…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
