Kay Lazar’s August 7th Globe article, “Dental benefits widen, waiting lines grow,” demonstrates the important role dental coverage plays in keeping Massachusetts healthy. Her article highlights the changes needed to ensure access to oral health care for all of our residents. Let’s take a moment to look at how far we’ve come.
- January 2005. Implementation of the Watch Your Mouth campaign. This vibrant public awareness campaign has continually strengthened the public’s understanding of oral health.
- Spring 2005. Formation of the Nation’s First Legislative Oral Health Caucus. Led by Senator Chandler and Representative Scibak, members of the Caucus are champions for oral health in the Legislature.
- July 2005. A US District Court found that the state was running its dental program for Medicaid children in violation of federal law. As a result of remediation efforts, access to dental care for children is on the rise.
- March 2006. Caseload caps went into effect. This change allows dentists to treat MassHealth patients while keeping their practices financially stable.
- April 2006. MassHealth dental benefits were restored, restoring coverage to hundreds of thousands of residents.
- February 2007. The MassHealth dental program was outsourced to an experienced Third Party Administrator. Dentist participation in the MassHealth program has steadily increased since implementation.
- 2005-Present. Full funding for the BEST oral health program was included in the state’s budget. This innovative three year pilot project reaches children under the age of five with oral health access and information before dental decay advances to severe levels. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Candaras and Representative Coakley-Rivera BEST has received full funding each year of its pilot phase, opening the door for statewide replication.
And there are more opportunities for positive change on the horizon.
- Each year the state evaluates the rates paid to providers who treat MassHealth patients. These rates will be reviewed during the coming months. It is our hope that the state will raise rates to a level that will allow dental providers to cover the costs of providing care.
- Senate Bill 2819, passed unanimously by the Senate, is currently awaiting action in the House. If enacted, this bill would strengthen the state’s oral health workforce and infrastructure and increase access. There are a number of components to the bill. First, the bill would bring Massachusetts in line with 29 other states and allow registered dental hygienists to perform preventive care that includes cleanings, fluoride treatments and the placing of sealants on patients in public health settings. Second, it would provide a career ladder for dental assistants and allow dentists to see more patients. Third, the bill would increase the part time dental director at the Office of MassHealth to full time and create a full-time dental director position within the Office of Oral Health located in the Department of Public Health. Fourth, it would provide statutory authority for the Office of Oral Health, ensuring that the Office would not be eliminated during changes in Administration. Finally, the bill would ensure that prevention programs developed at the Office of Oral Health are integrated with sustainable funding and with access programs under development at MassHealth by formalizing the relationship between the Office of Oral Health and the MassHealth dental director.
- The Better Oral Health for Massachusetts Coalition, made up of community leaders, oral health providers, business people, insurers, academics, state employees, and advocates, is gearing up to develop a statewide oral health plan. This plan will serve as a blueprint for improving the oral health of all residents.
The Commonwealth has made great strides in improving access to oral health care, education, prevention and treatment. And there’s more to come.
Jaime Corliss
UPDATE: Lots and lots of news stories lately on oral health. Here’s a sampler:
Boston – Globe editorial supports the oral health omnibus bill.
Norwood – Importance of the omnibus bill and community solutions in preventing dental disease
Cape Cod – Local initiatives are making progress in improving oral health
Worcester – Oral health bill will increase access to dental care
Worcester – Access to dental services for vulnerable populations is on the rise; and letter
Springfield – Prevention is the best medicine. Sending Hampden County children to school healthy and ready to learn
