Press Release

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) addressed America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), calling on them to step up to the plate and re-evaluate their priorities when assessing the benefits provided to patients versus benefits provided to shareholders.

“Like everyone in this room, I appreciate the benefits of our capitalist system, and I acknowledge its positive impact on innovation and technological development,” Congressman Cummings said in his address. “At some point, however, American taxpayers are going to fight back against companies that protect profits over people, and you do not need me to tell you that your companies are headed for a public relations disaster.”

AHIP, the national association representing the majority of America’s health insurance providers, is holding its annual Medicaid and Medicare conferences in Washington, D.C., this week. Congressman Cummings, who has been a leader on improving children’s access to dental care following the tragic death of a 12-year-old Maryland boy named Deamonte Driver who died when a tooth infection spread to his brain, requested the opportunity to address the conferees on bridging the gap of dental access in Medicaid.

“I made it my personal mission to ensure that from the death of Deamonte Driver we are able to bring life, and I have launched a multi-faceted approach to tackle the barriers to dental access for children at all levels,” Congressman Cummings said. “We have made great progress in this effort, but nothing we do will be successful without the participation of the insurance industry.”

Congressman Cummings worked with his colleagues to ensure the inclusion of guaranteed dental benefits in the recently-passed Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) re-authorization, H.R. 976. He also introduced H.R. 2371, Deamonte’s Law, which ensures pediatric dental services to underserved populations. In addition, he has reached out to Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland state legislature, offering suggestions on ways to improve children’s dental access at the state level.

He has also been working with UnitedHealth Group, the Driver family’s health provider, to address ways that the private insurance industry can improve the problem. In response, UnitedHealth recently formed a partnership with the University of Maryland’s Dental School. Under this agreement, UnitedHealth will provide over $170,000 annually to establish programs that will expand the number of dentists trained in pediatrics as well as ease the difficulties of children covered by Medicaid seeking dental appointments.

“I did not come to AHIP’s conference today to place blame for the problems that exist in our healthcare system; however, the industry’s role is critical in improving the problem,” Congressman Cummings said. “UnitedHealth has taken a step in addressing this issue, and it is my hope that the rest of the industry will join our fight and begin caring about these children as if they were their own.”

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