Florida Gets Failing Grade in Preventing Childhood Dental Decay Florida’s Dental Hygienists Urge Legislators to Resolve Medicaid Billing Problem

 

The following news release was issued by the Florida Dental Hygiene Association on January 8, 2013:

 

FDHA: “Medicaid Billing Glitch” Hinders Dental Sealant Programs for Kids

 

In a national report issued today, January 8, 2013 that grades all 50 states on four benchmarks related to dental sealants, Florida received a “D” from the Pew Center on the States for not doing enough to provide more low-income children with dental sealants. 

To view the report on www.PewStates.org, click here.

The report gave Florida full credit for only one benchmark; a 2011 law, which, like most other states, enables dental hygienists to provide sealants to children without subjecting them to unnecessary examinations.

But, the Florida Dental Hygiene Association reports that many children will go without this proven form of decay prevention until Florida legislators resolve a related Medicaid billing glitch created by the 2011 law.

“It’s difficult for new sealant programs to serve children when health access settings face this reimbursement obstacle,” explained Jo Ann Weatherwax, Florida Dental Hygiene Association President.

Presently, Florida’s dental sealant Medicaid billing glitch prohibits health access settings from billing for services provided by licensed dental hygienists without prior authorization from a dentist, thus preventing full implementation of the cost-saving 2011 dental sealants law.  This creates an unnecessary barrier to children’s preventive dental care programs awaiting implementation, and untreated decay leads directly to underserved children seeking treatment in hospital emergency rooms.

Further analysis by the Florida Public Health Institute found that, in 2010, more than 15,000 children received treatment for dental problems in hospital emergency rooms – and many of these dental ailments were preventable.  Medicaid paid $29.7 million for children and adults in 2010 who visited emergency rooms for dental conditions.

“When communities work together to bring prevention to schools and neighborhoods, we improve the health of our children” Weatherwax added. “We ask the Florida Legislature to correct this billing glitch. Providing dental sealants will both reduce overall costs and markedly improve the lives of our children.”

“Children’s health isn’t the only thing that suffers when states don’t invest in sealant programs,” said Shelly Gehshan, director of the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign.  “States that miss this opportunity to prevent decay are saddling taxpayers with higher costs down the road through Medicaid or other programs.”

About Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are clear plastic coatings that are brushed onto children’s molars–their most cavity-prone teeth.  Usually applied when kids are in 2nd grade, shortly after their permanent teeth appear, sealants are very cost-effective, because they prevent 60 percent of tooth decay at only one-third the cost of filling a cavity.

In addition to protecting a healthy tooth, sealants can also prevent a cavity from forming when applied during the early stages of tooth decay.  Unfortunately, the Sunshine State has not taken full advantage of this low-cost prevention strategy.  Florida was one of 15 states that received a D grade in Pew’s report, “Falling Short.”

Tooth decay can have far-reaching effects on a child’s life.  Untreated, it can cause pain and infections that lead to difficulty eating, speaking and sleeping, and poor overall health.  In recent years, studies have linked poor oral health to school attendance and lower grades.

Dental disease is, in fact, a disease, and carries negative health consequences across a person’s lifespan.  Dental sealants can easily prevent these types of chronic problems starting from childhood.

Founded in 1926, the Florida Dental Hygiene Association’s mission is to advance the art and science of dental hygiene by increasing the awareness of and ensuring access to quality oral health care, promoting the highest standards of dental hygiene education, licensure and practice and promoting the interests of dental hygiene.  Learn more about us at www.fdha.org.

For More Information, Please Contact:  Trevor Mask, Esq. (tmask@cftlaw.com or (850) 577-0398).