PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Oct 1, 2026
Foster Youth Dental Act of 2026
This bill expands Medicaid coverage of current and former foster youth, particularly with respect to dental services.
Specifically, the bill requires state Medicaid programs to cover early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services, including dental services, for current and former foster youth under the age of 26. States must set a special payment rate, based on rates in the private sector, for dental services provided to such individuals; the bill provides an enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for excess expenses that result from such payments. The bill's requirements take effect 80 days after the date of enactment of the bill.
People & committees
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37] · D–CA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 16, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-10-01 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
If enacted, this bill would extend Medicaid’s early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services to certain people in or formerly in state foster care through age 25. It would also require minimum payments to dentists treating this group, based on average private insurance contract rates. States could choose a statewide or national average.
(a) Expansion of EPSDT services to certain individuals aged 21–25
the term specified individual means an individual who is in foster care under the responsibility of a State (or was in foster care under the responsibility of the State on the date of attaining 18 years of age or such higher age as the State has elected under section 475(8)(B)(iii) and was enrolled in a State plan under this title or under a waiver of a plan while in such foster care).
by a dentist to a specified individual (as defined in the matter at the end of section 1905(a)) under the age of 26 at a rate not less than the specified average rate (as defined in subsection (zz)) for such services.
the average of the contracted rates (as defined in paragraph (2)) in effect during the 5-year period ending on the date such service is so furnished— (A) for such service furnished in such State (as determined by the State); or (B) for such service furnished in the United States (as determined by the Secretary); as selected by such State.
The proposed benefit extension would cover specified individuals under 26. The definition includes people currently in state-responsibility foster care, or people who were in that care when they reached 18—or a higher age elected by the state—and were enrolled in Medicaid under a state plan or waiver while in that care.
in paragraph (4)(B), by inserting (or, in the case of a specified individual (as defined in the matter at the end of this subsection), under the age of 26) after 21
the term specified individual means an individual who is in foster care under the responsibility of a State (or was in foster care under the responsibility of the State on the date of attaining 18 years of age or such higher age as the State has elected under section 475(8)(B)(iii) and was enrolled in a State plan under this title or under a waiver of a plan while in such foster care).
The bill would amend Medicaid’s information requirement to include specified individuals under 26, explicitly mention dental services, and add information about the importance of maintaining good oral health.
Section 1902(a)(43)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(43)(A)) is amended— (A) by inserting (or, in the case of a specified individual (as defined in the matter at the end of section 1905(a)), under the age of 26) after 21; (B) by inserting (including dental services) after treatment services; (C) by striking and the need and inserting , the need; and (D) by striking the comma at the end and inserting , and the importance of maintaining good oral health,.
The coverage extension would apply to services furnished in calendar quarters beginning on or after the 80th day after enactment. The information changes would begin with the first calendar quarter starting on or after that same threshold.
The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to medical assistance furnished during calendar quarters beginning on or after the date that is 80 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The amendment made by paragraph (2) shall apply to information provided under section 1902(a)(43)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(43)(A)) beginning with the first calendar quarter beginning on or after the date that is 80 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
State Medicaid plans would have to pay dentists at least the specified average rate for dental services furnished to the defined group under 26. This payment floor would start on the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning on or after the 80th day after enactment.
for payment for dental services furnished on or after the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning on or after the date that is 80 days after the date of the enactment of this subparagraph by a dentist to a specified individual (as defined in the matter at the end of section 1905(a)) under the age of 26 at a rate not less than the specified average rate (as defined in subsection (zz)) for such services.
The payment benchmark would average insurance contract rates over the five years ending on the service date. Each state could choose either its statewide average, determined by the state, or the national average, determined by the Secretary.
the term specified average rate means, with respect to a dental service furnished in a State, the average of the contracted rates (as defined in paragraph (2)) in effect during the 5-year period ending on the date such service is so furnished— (A) for such service furnished in such State (as determined by the State); or (B) for such service furnished in the United States (as determined by the Secretary); as selected by such State.
The benchmark would use negotiated rates between dentists and insurers or group health plans, counting the total payable amount, including patients’ cost sharing. It would exclude rates from self-insured group plans—plans that bear their own claims costs.
a rate in effect between a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage or a group health plan (as such terms are defined in section 2791 of the Public Health Service Act) and a dentist with a contractual relationship in effect with such issuer or plan (as applicable) for furnishing such service under such coverage or plan (as applicable) that represents the total amount payable (including cost sharing) under such coverage or plan (as applicable) for such service so furnished.
the term contracted rate shall not include a rate described in such subparagraph that is in effect between a self-insured group health plan and a dentist.
For Medicaid managed care plans, the bill would add dental services to section 1932(f) and add references to the new dental payment provision. The supplied text does not reproduce that existing section’s full requirements.
(2) Medicaid managed care plans Section 1932(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396u–2(f)) is amended— (A) in the header, by striking primary care services and inserting certain services; (B) by inserting or dental services after primary care services; (C) by striking section 1902(a)(13)(C) and inserting subparagraph (C) or (D), respectively, of section 1902(a)(13); and (D) by striking such section and inserting such subparagraph (C) or (D), as applicable.
For the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the federal government would cover 100% of the spending attributable to the required payment floor exceeding the state plan’s January 1, 2026 payment rate. This would apply from the same calendar-quarter threshold as the payment floor. It would not make all covered dental spending federally funded at 100%; amounts beyond that specified portion could still receive federal matching at the applicable percentage.
with respect to the portion of the amounts expended for medical assistance for services described in section 1902(a)(13)(D) furnished on or after the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning on or after the date that is 80 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection furnished to an individual described in such section by a dentist that is attributable to the amount by which the minimum payment rate required under such section (or, by application, section 1932(f)) exceeds the payment rate applicable to such services under the State plan as of January 1, 2026, the Federal medical assistance percentage for a State that is one of the 50 States or the District of Columbia shall be equal to 100 percent.
The preceding sentence does not prohibit the payment of Federal financial participation based on the Federal medical assistance percentage for amounts in excess of those specified in such sentence.
Within six months after enactment, states would have to establish outreach and enrollment programs intended to increase Medicaid enrollment among former foster children eligible under the cited eligibility provision. States would coordinate with their agency administering the federal foster-care state plan and other appropriate or interested agencies, following best practices established by the Secretary.
(c) Outreach efforts for enrollment of former foster children
(91) not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this paragraph— (A) establish an outreach and enrollment program, in coordination with the State agency responsible for administering the State plan under part E of title IV and any other appropriate or interested agencies, designed to increase the enrollment of individuals who are eligible for medical assistance under the State plan under paragraph (10)(A)(i)(IX) in accordance with best practices established by the Secretary
Within the same six-month deadline, states would also have to establish outreach programs encouraging dentists practicing in the state to enroll as Medicaid providers.
(91) not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this paragraph
(B) establish an outreach program to dentists practicing in such State to encourage enrollment by such dentists in such plan as participating providers under such plan.
The supplied action snapshot, updated October 16, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 1, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-16T20:01:52Z. 2026-10-01: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2026-10-01: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-10-01. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places outside general statutory allocation rules was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish formal earmark status in accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The introduced text contains a narrowly scoped provider payment preference directly connected to its main policy. This classification does not imply that the preference is improper.
Dentists furnishing services to the bill’s defined foster-care group under 26 would receive a special Medicaid payment floor based on average insurance contract rates. The preference applies to those services; the text does not establish that it would increase every dentist’s existing payment.
by a dentist to a specified individual (as defined in the matter at the end of section 1905(a)) under the age of 26 at a rate not less than the specified average rate (as defined in subsection (zz)) for such services.
the term specified average rate means, with respect to a dental service furnished in a State, the average of the contracted rates (as defined in paragraph (2)) in effect during the 5-year period ending on the date such service is so furnished
the term specified individual means an individual who is in foster care under the responsibility of a State (or was in foster care under the responsibility of the State on the date of attaining 18 years of age or such higher age as the State has elected under section 475(8)(B)(iii) and was enrolled in a State plan under this title or under a waiver of a plan while in such foster care).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 16, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI