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.

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