The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which state Medicaid programs have developed laws and regulations to support the delivery of adolescent preventive services, including counseling, screening, and referral to dental providers.
Methods In recent years several professional organizations have developed guidelines for adolescent preventive services (AAP, Bright Futures, USPSTF), and these guidelines contain strong support for preventive dental services. The survey asked state Medicaid agencies whether and to what extent their policies require or recommend that primary care providers screen for caries, developmental dental anomalies, malocclusion, gingivitis, pathological conditions, dental injuries; that primary care providers counsel adolescents on avoiding dental injury and tobacco use, counsel parents on the need for regular dental care including sealants, and make annual referrals to dentists. The survey also asked whether states were using or considering a range of quality measures, including those recommended by the NCQA Expert Panel on the Future of Pediatric Oral Health Performance Measurement. Finally, states were asked whether their policies are developed in consultation with state dental societies, or other public health, provider, or advocacy organizations.
Learning Objectives: 1. Learn how adolescent clinical preventive guidelines address preventive dental health for adolescents. 2. Learn whether and how state Medicaid law and policies address these dental health provisions in fee-for-service and managed care systems
Keywords: Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.