Oral Health

1
Oral Health Financing for Oral HealthThe
Family Perspective Partnership Opportunities in
MA

• Family Voices Conference
• Washington, D.C.
• May 2009

Beth Dworetzky MA F2F HIC, a project of Mass
Family Voices _at_ Federation for Children with
Special Needs
2
Access Issues

• Many oral health providers do not take new
  patients, even with private health insurance
• Providers do not take Medicaid
• Even if Medicaid providers
• Many dont take new patients
• Many unable or unwilling to accommodate children
  with behavioral or developmental needs

3
Financing Issues

• Below the neck
• Medicaid
• Health Reform
• Oral Health Parity

4
Setting Priorities

• You are not healthy without good oral health.
  C. Everett
• Koop
• MA DPH Office of Oral Health received a grant
  from ASTDD
• Invited Mass Family Voices/MA F2F HIC as a
  partner
• Oral Health Forums
• Education
• Family Input

5
Oral healthcare Whos Responsible?

• Oral Health Action Plan for CYSHCN
• Oral Health Advisory Committee
• Medicaid Agency working to increase number of
  oral health providers
• Dental hygienists can do more procedures that are
  billable to Medicaid

6
Oral healthcare Whos Responsible?

• Perception that families raising CYSHCN were too
  overwhelmed to make oral health a priority
• MA F2F HIC worked in partnership with families
  and oral health providers to promote the family
  role in oral health promotion
• Tip sheet for promoting oral health _at_ home
• Tip sheet for ways families could partner oral
  health providers to make dental visits successful

7
Next Steps

• Families on Oral Health Advisory Committee
• Worked to restore money in House budget to
  support existing oral health programs
• Working with Office of Medicaid to have them ID
  providers willing to accept patients with SHCN