State Policy Considerations for Reimbursing Medical Providers for Preventive Oral Health Services

The most common chronic childhood disease in America, tooth decay, is almost entirely preventable.  States have turned to medical providers to help prevent tooth decay since children see doctors earlier and more often than dentists, and Medicaid agencies in 35 states reimburse medical providers for preventive oral health services.
The Pew Center on the States and the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) presented this free webinar, which took a close look at state options in designing and implementing similar policies.  Drawing from the findings of the NASHP publication Reimbursing Medical Providers for Preventive Oral Health Services: State Policy Options, and the experiences of Iowa, Utah, and Washington, this webinar highlighted state options for reimbursement codes, provider training and outreach, and policy evaluation. The webinar also highlighted state opportunities to improve children’s access to preventive oral health services through collaboration and linking a policy to broader oral health initiatives.