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1.4 Opportunities for Oral Health Care Delivery and Financing—Continued
Opportunities for oral health care delivery and financing include the following programs and services:
Maternal and Child Health Services
The Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant (Title V) requires
that states budget at least 30 percent of their federal allocation
to services for children with special health care needs. Title V funds
may be used to provide case-management services to families as a means
to improve access to oral health care and to support collaboration between
special health care needs programs and oral health programs. To
find out what your state covers, contact your state dental
director (see http://www.astdd.org) or your state maternal and child health
director or state children with special health care needs director. (See https://performance.hrsa.gov/mchb/mchreports/link/state_links.asp.)
Head Start
Head Start programs allocate a minimum of 10 percent of their enrollment
to children with disabilities. In addition, Head Start programs
work with local agencies to help families enroll in public assistance
programs or to obtain other sources of funding for oral health care. Head
Start Program Performance Standards specify that programs should work
with dentists to ensure that children receive an oral examination, that
a treatment plan is developed, and that necessary treatment is completed
for all children enrolled in the program.
Medicaid
All children enrolled in Medicaid, including those with special health
care needs, are entitled to comprehensive oral health services
through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment
(EPSDT) Program. Ages for the provision of services vary by state. Oral
health professionals should keep abreast of changes in Medicaid and State
Children’s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) coverage and regulations,
as they frequently change. States use a variety of reimbursement methods
for targeted case management, a service that assists families in gaining
and coordinating access to oral health services appropriate to their needs. In
many states, Medicaid eligibility is automatic for recipients
of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In other states, a separate
Medicaid application is needed, while in others, SSI eligibility criteria
are different than Medicaid eligibility criteria.
Find out what the situation is in your state to help families
determine whether their children are eligible for these dental
benefits.
Grottoes of North America’s Humanitarian Foundation
The Grottoes of North America’s Humanitarian Foundation partners with dentists to bring community-based oral health services to children with special health care needs. Parents select the dentist of their choice, and the program works directly with the dental office to process the claim and issue payment. The Grottoes Web site provides information on the foundation’s Dental Care for Children with Special Needs Program.
(See http://www.scgrotto.com/Text%20documents/Dental%20Care%20Program.htm.)
National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped
The National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH), an affiliate of the American Dental Association, works to improve the oral health of individuals with physical, medical, and cognitive disabilities through voluntary programs, including linking individuals with dentists in their communities to receive free comprehensive oral health treatment; transporting mobile dental equipment in a van to facilities serving individuals with developmental disabilities; and training nurses, teachers, case managers, residential staff, and parents of children with developmental disabilities to help improve oral hygiene and to follow up with routine oral health care. NFDH’s Web site provides links to information on the voluntary programs. (See http://www.nfdh.org.)
Special Olympics, Healthy Athletes, Special Smiles
Special Olympics, Healthy Athletes, Special Smiles works to increase public awareness of the oral health issues facing children, adolescents, and adults with special health care needs, increase their access to care, and train professionals to care for them. The program provides Special Olympics athletes with oral health screening, education, and referrals to dentists in their community for routine oral health care and treatment. The Special Olympics’ Web site includes links to the program’s publications and events.
(See http://www.specialolympics.org.)
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