SPECIAL EDITORIAL
Identifying and Advancing Solutions
But there is good news . Professional organizations , policymakers , researchers , community leaders , private industry , and healthcare professionals alike are continuously trying to close the dental divide in America by advancing solutions that can positively impact the oral health of our nation . Here are some examples :
“ Action for Dental Health : Dentists Making a Difference ” was launched in 2013 by the American Dental Association ( ADA ) to improve the oral health of America ’ s underserved populations . The movement is organized around three distinct goals : to provide care now to those already suffering from untreated dental disease , to strengthen and expand the public and private safety net , and to bring education and disease prevention into the nation ’ s most needy communities .
Action for Dental Health dentist-led , community-based efforts have taken root in every state and continue to grow . Here are some of the special problems this campaign recognizes and the actions being taken to correct them instead of these problems .
! PROBLEM : There are approximately 1.4 million senior citizens in nursing facilities in America and the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to double during the next 50 years .
ACTION : To improve the health of the vulnerable elderly , dentists in 13 states have implemented programs that provide care for seniors living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities .
! PROBLEM : Emergency rooms across the country are often flooded by patients seeking treatment for dental pain , and most hospitals are under-equipped and not sufficiently staffed to provide comprehensive dental care .
ACTION : Dentists have developed five different models of community partnerships that effectively connect people seeking care for severe dental pain in emergency rooms with the dentists who can best treat their conditions .
Urging Policy Change The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families ( CCF ) in partnership with the Children ’ s Dental Health Project published a brief in September 2016 focusing on pediatric dental coverage and ways to improve children ’ s oral health . The brief urges policymakers at the state and federal levels to consider these options that could vastly improve the delivery of children ’ s oral health care .
Options for Federal Agencies
• The Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) should establish a standard plan design for Qualified Health Plans ( QHPs ) in federally facilitated and partnership marketplaces . This standard plan should be similar to those of states like California , Connecticut , and Maryland , and the District of Columbia , which include comprehensive pediatric dental coverage and protect children ’ s dental services from high deductibles . In addition , future marketplace enrollment reports should provide detailed information on dental insurance enrollment in both stand-alone and embedded plans .
• HHS should not exempt child-only plans and standalone dental plans from the QRS and QHP enrollee surveys . Additionally , the federal marketplace should incorporate the Dental Quality Alliance ( DQA ) pediatric measures in the QRS .
• The IRS should revisit the regulations on Health Insurance Premium Tax Credits and allow for the inclusion of all pediatric dental coverage options as part of the tax credit calculation . This would enable all families to receive the full tax credits to which they should be entitled .
• HHS should expand the preventive services regulations to add all oral health services included in the guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration ( i . e ., Bright Futures ). This will help ensure that tooth decay is treated like any other chronic condition .
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) should issue regulations implementing the dental coverage standard in CHIP as outlined in the Children ’ s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 .
• CMS should encourage state Medicaid programs to align policies and care delivery with established clinical guidelines and should facilitate states ’ ability to refine their Medicaid programs to strengthen oral health among preschool-age children . For example , CMS could enhance its Oral Health Initiative to measure
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