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On Sunday, February 8, Virginia's House and Senate both released budgets that included funding for dental benefits for pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid and FAMIS MOMS. Since the funding was already included in the Governor's budget, the funding would have to have been removed with specific language or a budget amendment. The House budget includes…
Read MoreComprehensive dental benefits for pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid and FAMIS MOMS will begin on March 1, 2015. On this date, providers may begin billing for this benefit and enrolled pregnant women can receive dental services. The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) has put together outreach resources for medical and dental providers, members and…
Read MoreHappy Anniversary, Water Fluoridation! Happy anniversary to water fluoridation – otherwise known as dental disease prevention in the tap! On January 25, 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first city in the world to fluoridate its community water supply. The innovative move to combat tooth decay stemmed from more than 35 years of collaborative research,…
Read MoreOn January 2, 2015, the Virginian-Pilot published the article “Special-needs patients face difficulties with dental care,” highlighting the issues that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities may face when accessing dental care. The article mentioned the Coalition's recent program, funded by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, that aimed to increase the number of Virginia…
Read MoreIn Virginia, the Smiles for Children dental program provides comprehensive dental benefits for children (and pregnant women after March 1, 2015) who are enrolled in Medicaid and FAMIS. Smiles for Children operates the two programs so seamlessly it can be easy to forget that Medicaid and FAMIS are funded through separate federal programs. The State Children's Health Insurance Partnership (or “SCHIP”)…
Read MoreThe Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) is a bipartisan committee comprised of Virginia General Assembly legislators tasked with ensuring that the Commonwealth “adopts the most cost-effective and efficacious means of delivery of health care services so that the greatest number of Virginians receive quality health care.” JCHC staff conducts research based on resolutions passed by Virginia legislators that direct…
Read MoreChesapeake, Va. Adults with developmental disabilities will receive free oral health services on Saturday, October 18 through a training program designed to teach dental providers how to care for individuals with special health care needs. Dentists are unlikely to receive this type of specialized training in dental school, and many people with developmental disabilities lack…
Read MoreThe Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (known as “FAMIS” in Virginia) provides medical and dental coverage to more than 113,000 children and 1,300 pregnant women in Virginia whose families earn up to 200% FPL (or $47,700 for a family of four) – just over the Medicaid income limit of 143% FPL. Smiles for Children provides…
Read MoreRegistration for the 2014 Virginia Oral Health Summit is now open! The focus of this year's Summit is “Caring for the Whole Person: Oral Health in Patient-Centered Care.” Summit speakers will explore how medical and dental providers can work together to deliver comprehensive health care for their patients that includes oral health. This event is…
Read MoreBenefits among ten-step plan to expand health care services to 200,000 Virginians
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