Health care reform...reforming access to dental care

Introduction: With more than one million MassHealth (Medicaid) members in Massachusetts and less than twenty percent of dentists willing to treat these residents promoting workforce opportunities in dental health professional shortage areas (DHPSA), as well as the state's safety-net programs is imperative. Methods: In July 2008, Massachusetts passed a law commonly referred to as “Health Care Reform II.” This legislation mandated among other initiatives, the development of a Health Care Workforce Center (HCWC) to expand initiatives to attract primary care health professionals to increase access to medical and dental services for the underserved and unserved, as well as other high-risk populations. Results: Through the development of a workforce video targeting newly licensed dental professionals and a HCWC website the state is promoting loan repayment opportunities, workforce surveys and reports, in addition to the integration of oral health with other health professions. These promotional resources will increase the number of dental professionals applying to work in the state's thirty-two DHPSAs, more than forty community health center dental programs and eight clinics serving the developmentally disabled. Definitive data on the number and distribution of dental professionals will be provided at the November meeting. Conclusion: Health care reform in Massachusetts has not only required all residents to obtain health insurance, it has creatively allowed the promotion of the state's loan repayment program to increase the number of licensed dental professionals serving high-risk populations.