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Johanna Goldberg, MS, Community Benefit Programs, L. A. Care Health Plan, 555 W. Fifth Street, 29th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013-1054, 213.694.1250 X4322, jgoldberg@lacare.org, Beatriz Solis, MPH, Cultural and Linguistic Services, L. A. Care Health Plan, 555 W. Fifth Street, 29th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013-1054, and Katherryn Fruge-Browder, MPH, Member Services, L. A. Care Health Plan, 555 W. Fifth Street, 29th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013-1054.
L. A. Care Health Plan is a public, not-for-profit health plan serving Los Angeles County since 1997. More than 740,000 children and adults are members in Medi-Cal managed care, Healthy Families, and Healthy Kids making L. A. Care one of California’s largest health plans and the nation’s largest publicly governed health plan. The Los Angeles Public Health Department reports oral disease as an epidemic and the largest unmet need for healthcare in the County. Dental services have become more limited in the last several years due to the curtailment of services for low-income, uninsured populations, lack of preventative services and the increased size of the uninsured patient community. In Los Angeles County, approximately 20% of all children have urgent oral health needs. More than 34% of individuals at or below 200% of the federal poverty level are unable to receive dental care because they can’t afford it. With the current economic downturn and future projected decreases in California and Los Angeles’s healthcare budget, it is very likely that these disparities will increase. As a community accountable health plan, L. A. Care is committed to serving vulnerable populations, protecting the safety net, and reinvesting resources for community benefit. The 2003 Oral Health initiative awarded $3.2 million to 22 grantees throughout the County. This initiative gives safety net providers opportunities to maintain and increase capacity to offer oral health care services to low-income, uninsured populations. Integrating oral health care with comprehensive primary medical screening will help to sustain the grant related efforts.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Oral Health,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.