Dental Implications of Health Reform
Although the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Health Reform) does not recognize oral health care as an “essential benefit” for adults, it is considered “essential” for children. Among the key provisions of health reform, as it currently stands, are:
- Coverage – mandating pediatric oral health care
- Service Delivery – expanding school-based and community health center delivery models
- Prevention – improving oral health behaviors
- Workforce – fostering workforce innovation and new providers
- Data Collection – requiring consistent oral health data collection from all the states
For a more detailed description of the oral health provisions in the Affordable Care Act download this overview Summary Oral Health Provisions in the Affordable Care Act.
A comprehensive webinar on the dental implications of the Affordable Care Act prepared by the founder of the Children’s Dental Health Project, Dr. Burton Edelstein, is available through the Virginia Oral Health Coalition (info@vaoralhealth.org).
