- Senator Baldwin Introduces HSHS Act to Protect Communities from Hospital Closures
- What to Know about Smoke, Heat and Health
- Tribal Partnership With UW-Madison Combines Ag Research With Indigenous Food Knowledge
- The Rewards of Working as Rural Docs
- Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
- Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities and Check Teeth, Get the OK in More States
- Colorectal Cancer Is Rising among Younger Adults. Some States Want to Boost Awareness.
- Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust
- Food Stamps Go Further in Rural Areas — Until You Add Transportation Costs
- CMS Announces Resources and Flexibilities to Assist with the Public Health Emergency in the State of Texas
- CMS Proposes New Payments for Digital Health Under CY2025 PFS Draft Rule
- Improving Public Health by Strengthening Community Infrastructure
- Biden Harris Administration Proposes Policies to Reduce Maternal Mortality, Advance Health Equity, and Support Underserved Communities
- Nearly Half of U.S. Counties Don't Have a Single Cardiologist
- Randolph County, Ill. Turns Unused Part of Nursing Home Into State-Of-The-Art Behavioral Health Center
Article Links Teeth Brushing with Reduced Diabetes Risk
A new Korean national health database suggests frequent brushing may be a factor for decreasing the risk of new-onset diabetes. The presence of periodontal disease and increased number of missing teeth may be associated with decreased risk of occurrence of new on-set diabetes.
Celebrate World Oral Health Day on March 20th!
World Oral Health Day is just over one week away. This year’s campaign is “Say Ahh: United for Mouth Health.” World Oral Health Day encourages policymakers to take action for better oral health outcomes tomorrow.
Report Explores Teledentistry in Rural Areas
A new report published in the National Conference of State Legislatures found that rural Americans are more likely to experience tooth decay than their urban counterparts. The report explores teledentistry as a solution to addressing the disparity and discusses states that have already introduced legislation to establish teledentistry and expand access to oral health services.
The Role of Dentists in Community Water Fluoridation
Dentistry Today published a column by Dr. Johnny Johnson of the American Fluoridation Society. The column salutes the role of dentists in the history of fluoridation and encourages dental professionals to have conversations about fluoride with their patients.
Free Clinic Association of PA (FCAP) Annual Conference
Friday, May 1, 2020
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Days Inn Penn State
240 Pugh Street, State College, PA 16801
Phone: (814) 238-8454
Room reservation group code: 050120FRE
If you want to be a speaker, contact Kristi Mattzela at kmattzela@cvim.net. Applications are due by February 28.
Dental Public Health Resource
The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) released a “Dental Public Health 101” learning module. Dental Public Health focuses on dental and oral health issues in communities and populations rather than individuals.
Exploring Alternative Payment Models for Oral Health Care
In January 2020, the DentaQuest Partnership published an article in Decisions in Dentistry that evaluated Medicaid claims of alternative payment models (APMs) and fee for service (FFS). Key takeaways from the their study demonstrated that:
- In 2016, the Center for Health Care Strategies noted “states may be able to use their purchasing power to encourage better access, quality and accountability in oral health care for children in Medicaid — particularly through contracting with dental plans.”
- This analysis of a national sample of Medicaid dental claims found an approximate 6% increase (from 27% to 33%) in dental claims associated with APMs from 2013 to 2017.
- The costs over the lifespan for APMs were lower than traditional FFS models, while utilization was better in the APM plans.
- Dental utilization in this sampling was highest during pediatric care and sharply declines within the 20s, before remaining low for the rest of the lifespan.
Oral Health Coalition Releases 2019 Annual Report
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) has released their annual report for 2019 detailing accomplishments for the year. They extend a heartfelt thank you to their 2019 stakeholders, sponsors, and financial partners!
Resource Guide for Fluoride Varnish & Silver Diamine Fluoride
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center recently published the Fluoride Varnish and Silver Diamine Fluoride Resource Guide that was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The guide is to help professionals and consumers learn more about these products to promote oral health and prevent oral disease by providing professional education and training, materials on data and surveillance and public education.
Medicare Dental Benefit Will Improve Health and Reduce Health Care Costs
Medicare reform to improve oral health for all is at the heart of a blog written by Diane Oaks and the DentaQuest Partnership’s Executive Director of Grants Strategy Mike Monopoli, DMD, MPH, MS, which was named as second in The Five Most-Read GrantWatch Blog Posts Of 2019 by Health Affairs.