1-1 By: Davila (Senate Sponsor - Sibley) H.C.R. No. 145 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 1997; 1-3 April 29, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 14, 1997, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0; May 14, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, Dental caries, one of the most prevalent diseases 1-8 known, is often irreversible, and has significant medical and 1-9 economic impact on millions of sufferers; and 1-10 WHEREAS, In 1986, dental illnesses accounted for 6.4 million 1-11 days of bed disability, 14.3 million days of restricted activity, 1-12 and 20.9 million lost work days, and, in 1992, expenditures for 1-13 dental care in the United States totaled more than $38 billion; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Fluoride is known to reduce tooth decay and its 1-15 associated pain and suffering by as much as 40 percent, yet despite 1-16 its proven benefits, approximately 4,000,000 Texans are not served 1-17 by fluoridated water supplies, the most cost-effective means of 1-18 providing this trace element to the population; and 1-19 WHEREAS, Preliminary data comparing the Medicaid dental costs 1-20 for the three largest unfluoridated counties in Texas and 1-21 demographically similar fluoridated counties indicate that 1-22 fluoridation could save over $2,400,000 annually by reducing the 1-23 incidence of tooth and bone decay; based on estimates from the 1-24 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the comparative annual 1-25 cost of fluoridating public water supplies in these counties would 1-26 be $504,000; and 1-27 WHEREAS, While the preliminary estimates are encouraging, the 1-28 State of Texas has a compelling need for more current and reliable 1-29 information regarding the potential benefits of fluoridation in 1-30 reducing expenditures incurred by Medicaid and other public health 1-31 programs; now, therefore, be it 1-32 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-33 hereby direct the Texas Department of Health to conduct a study of 1-34 the costs and benefits of dental disease prevention through 1-35 fluoridation of public water supplies; and, be it further 1-36 RESOLVED, That this study include a review of Medicaid and 1-37 other public health costs to the state to determine the extent to 1-38 which differences in these costs in different regions of the state 1-39 are attributable to the presence or absence of fluoridated public 1-40 water supplies; and, be it further 1-41 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health submit a full 1-42 report of its findings and recommendations to the 76th Legislature 1-43 when that legislature convenes in January 1999; and, be it further 1-44 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 1-45 copy of this resolution to the commissioner of health of the Texas 1-46 Department of Health. 1-47 * * * * *