The Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation hosted a luncheon on access to oral health coverage in the U.S. health care system.
According to the Alliance for Health Reform, more than 100 million Americans do not have oral health coverage. Poor oral health is associated with conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease, stroke and preterm birth.
A panel discussion examined what the lack of coverage costs states and how states are addressing the problem, as well as ways to address the shortage of dental workers in some areas.
Panelists included: Lynn Mouden of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Monica Hebl of the American Dental Association, Julie Stitzel of the Pew Center on the States and Christy Fogarty of Children’s Dental Services in Minnesota.
David Krol of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Ed Howard of the Alliance for Health Reform co-moderated the discussion.