Can the Integration of Dental and General Healthcare Reduce the Prevalence of Periodontitis? EIU Report on the Societal and Economic Burden of Periodontitis
On June 14, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) published a report commissioned by the European Federation of Periodontology that provides a cost analysis of periodontitis in six Western European countries. […]
Three Domain Framework Addresses Oral Health Delivery
Three Domain Framework Addresses Oral Health Delivery Industry leaders look to expand access and integration The DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement, along with 120 organizations, leaders, and stakeholders in […]
Expanding Access through Dentistry
Study Details How Dental-Medical Collaborative Program at Health Center Improved HPV Vaccination Rates of Young Patients A new study describes a first-of-its-kind program designed to increase the rates of HPV […]
ADA Board of Trustees: Dentistry is Essential Health Care
The American Dental Association Board of Trustees has adopted an ad interim policy stating dentistry is essential health care to help guide advocacy for the dental profession during the COVID-19 […]
Accessible Care is Equal Care
People with disabilities have a long history of unequal access to, and discrimination in, oral health and primary care, which has resulted in large health disparities between disabled individuals and […]
New National Health Objectives in Healthy People 2030
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is soliciting written comments regarding the Healthy People 2030 objectives. Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all […]
National Study Finds Higher Blood Pressure with Poor Oral Health
Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the tissues surrounding the teeth, with evidence of systemic effects. Some studies showed the benefit of periodontal therapy on blood pressure (BP), but […]
How to expand dental coverage under Medicare?
Two approaches would add a dental benefit under Medicare either by expanding dental benefits under Part B or by adding a new voluntary dental benefit under a new part of Medicare. Other approaches could include permitting greater access to medically necessary services, testing models to expanding dental care, and offering dental discount cards. Policy options could be designed to reach all beneficiaries or targeted to a subset of beneficiaries (e.g., those needing medically necessary treatments or low-income beneficiaries). These approaches would also have different financial effects on the federal government, beneficiaries, taxpayers, and other payers depending on the scope of services covered, required beneficiary contributions, and other factors. These approaches vary in the extent to which they would improve beneficiaries’ oral health care and improved health outcomes.
What would be the impact of extending the definition of medically necessary dental care?
Broadening the definition of medically necessary dental care under current law would expand access to dental services for the subset of beneficiaries with the specified medical conditions or circumstances. This option could potentially help those who stand to gain the most in terms of health outcomes; however, it would not address the oral health needs of those whose dental issues do not meet a definition of “medically necessary.” The cost to the federal government would depend on the number of conditions and circumstances covered, the scope of services covered, the potential to reduce or prevent other medical costs, and Medicare payments for the services. 32 The impact on Medicare spending and Part B premiums would likely be smaller than in the Part B approach, because fewer people would be expected to qualify for medically necessary services.
What is CMMI in dental?
Another option could be to use the demonstration authority through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test approaches to dental coverage for the Medicare population. A model would help to gather information about the potential costs and savings of adding a dental benefit to Medicare. The CMMI was created to test models and the Secretary can permanently authorize those that either achieve savings without reducing quality of care, or improve the quality of care without increasing spending.
Who can review clinical evidence for dental insurance?
Alternatively, the Secretary or an independent scientific body, such as the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly the Institute of Medicine (IOM), could be called upon to review clinical evidence and identify the appropriate contexts for medically necessary dental coverage under Medicare.
What is Medicare Part D?
For example, under Medicare Part D, Medicare eligible beneficiaries who do not have “creditable coverage”, meaning they do not have drug coverage where the actuarial value equals or exceeds the actuarial value of standard prescription drug coverage under Medicare, face a penalty for late enrollment.
Why don't people on Medicare get premiums?
Many low- and moderate-income people on Medicare would not qualify for premium and cost-sharing assistance because their income and assets exceed eligibility levels for those programs. Interactions with other insurance.
What would happen if Medicare cap was put on dental insurance?
However, beneficiaries would be exposed to unlimited expenses once they exceed the annual cap on covered benefits.
What is the West Virginia oral health initiative?
Oral health is one area of interest in the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation’s Health and Human Services program . In December 2015 a report on the history of the West Virginia Oral Health Initiative was publicly released. It mentions “the expansive role” the Benedum Foundation played in launching this collaborative statewide effort in 2008. The initiative has aimed to improve the oral health status of West Virginians through “public awareness, provider training, dental screenings, and access to dental care.” Among the lessons learned is that “foundations bring credibility to other funders and partners, connections, and pivotal funding to spark public action.” However, much remains to be done before the state turns the corner on its oral health challenges. The report, based on a March 2015 meeting of key stakeholders, states that “major progress” has occurred in child oral health, but little progress for adults has been made. Current constraints include oral health being seen “as an isolated issue” and not part of the broader public health discussion. The Forbes Funds, a supporting organization of the Pittsburgh Foundation , helped produce the report.
What is the goal of Dentaquest?
In 2014 the DentaQuest Foundation launched Oral Health 2020, a national movement “to eradicate dental disease in children and improve oral health across the lifespan.” In January 2016 the foundation announced that most of its 2016 funding would support the goals and targets of that effort. For example, in April 2016 the foundation awarded $2 million in continuing funding for its Grassroots Engagement Initiative (part of Oral Health 2020). The initiative is working with community-based groups in six states “to equip and empower community members” affected by poor oral health “with the skills and resources needed to develop solutions to eliminate disparities and improve oral health,” according to a press release.
What is integrated dental care?
Here’s what an integrated dental health/primary care visit might look like to a patient: When you go for a routine teeth cleaning, you would be cared for by a team of physicians, dentists, nurses, and physician and dental assistants. One or more of them would take your blood pressure, check your weight, update your medications, see if you are due for any preventive screenings or treatments, and clean your teeth. If you have an artificial heart valve or have previously had a heart infection, or you are taking a blood thinner, your clinicians will manage these conditions without multiple calls to referring doctors.
How many Americans have no dental insurance?
That poses problems for access to care. Today, 130 million Americans, most of them adults, have no dental coverage. Medicare has no dental benefits, and Medicaid has few benefits for adults. The high cost of dental care affects even those with coverage.
Does poor oral health increase medical costs?
And mounting evidence shows that poor oral health results in increased general medical costs. To help break down barriers between medicine and dentistry, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine has created the Initiative to Integrate Oral Health and Medicine. In an effort to improve general health and lower medical costs, ...
What did dentists do in 1840?
In 1840, dentistry focused on extracting decayed teeth and plugging cavities. Today, dentists use sophisticated methods for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We implant teeth, pinpoint oral cancers, use 3-D imaging to reshape a jaw, and can treat some dental decay medically, without a drill.
Is it time to break down the wall between dentistry and medicine?
That artificial division is bad for the public’ s health. It’s time to bring the mouth back into the body.
Is there a political will to integrate dentistry and primary care?
Finding the political will to integrate dentistry and primary care is a challenge. Various organizations including the DentaQuest Foundation, the Santa Fe Group, and Oral Health America have taken up the task. The majority of this work is designed to raise awareness of oral health, educate non-dental health care providers, and create political interest in promoting oral health. However, while interprofessional education has met with some success, interprofessional practice remains elusive.
What are the programs that have led to the development of services and supports?
Federal legislation and programs have led the development of services and supports. Title V of the Social Security Act was passed in 1935 and provided resources to all states for services to children with crippling or handicapping conditions. Today, one third of the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant to states must be spent on children with special health care needs.30Clinical demonstration programs authorized by Congress in 1957 rapidly expanded to become the Health Services and Resources Administration’s interdisciplinary training programs for pediatric care of children with disabilities. In the subsequent decades, health care professionals who trained through these programs transformed health care for children and youths with neurodevelopmental and other disabilities. Similar training is not available for the care of young and older adults with disabilities.31The dilemma of adolescent transition illustrates the growing pressure on our national health care and public health systems to adequately address the existing and future health needs of people with disabilities across their life course. Problems in accessing community-based, quality, and appropriate health care in a timely way have been lamented for decades; these problems were recently summarized.32
When youths with disabilities or special health care needs transition from pediatric care into adult service systems, they and their families often
When youths with disabilities or special health care needs transition from pediatric care into adult service systems, they and their families often encounter major barriers with health systems that are unprepared to provide adequate health care for their complex needs.26