Coverage

Dental Therapists Can Improve Access to Dental Care for Underserved Communities

Download full issue brief with endnotes (PDF) Millions of people in this country face significant barriers to obtaining the basic dental care they need to achieve good oral health. As a result,...

Health Reform 2.0: A Call to Action

What’s the next frontier in health reform? Both a call to action and a roadmap for progress, Families USA’s latest report, Health Reform 2.0 lays out a path for securing high-quality, affordabl...

Income Disparities in Oral Health and Well-Being for U.S. Adults

Despite some improvements since a landmark Surgeon General’s report in 2000, unacceptable numbers of adults across all income levels suffer from dental problems that degrade their qu...

Why States Should Offer Extensive Oral Health Benefits to Adults Covered by Medicaid

Millions of adults lack coverage for oral health care and cannot afford to pay for needed care on their own. States can make a difference by covering extensive oral health benefits in their Medicaid p...

Using Hospital Community Benefits to Improve Access to Oral Health Care

As part of their tax obligation to provide benefits to the community beyond hospital care, nonprofit hospitals can fund oral health initiatives such as community dental clinics, mobile dental services...

How Medicaid Waivers Could Limit Access to Oral Health Care

A Medicaid “waiver” is a state request to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain federal requirements of the Medicaid program. Traditionally, Medicaid waivers under section 11...

Engaging in Story-Based Work: What Oral Health Organizations Need to Know

This issue brief outlines what organizations that interact with individuals with oral health needs should know before engaging in any story-based work. A companion publication to our Story Bank Too...

America’s Seniors Need Medicare Oral Health Coverage

Nearly 60 million seniors and disabled persons rely on the Medicare program – and only about one-third of them have any coverage for oral health care. The Medicare statute currently excludes coverag...

5 Reasons We Are Celebrating CHIP’s 10- Year Extension this National Children’s Dental Health Month!

Along with celebrating Black History Month, Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year this February we are also elevating kids' oral health for National Children’s Dental Health Month! There is a lot...

Oral Health Questions to Ask Your Candidate

The 2018 elections provide a chance to bring oral health issues to the forefront of policymaker and public discussions—an important opportunity for an issue that is often forgotten, left behind, or ...