Moving from Goal to Impact: A Quality Improvement Approach to Advancing Children's Oral Health in Medicaid

ISSUE BRIEF, July 2015 Even though Medicaid coverage includes dental benefits for enrolled children, ensuring that children use that benefit has proved to be a challenge for states. To reduce barriers to oral health care for low-income children and to increase utilization, CMS launched a national Oral Health Initiative (OHI) in 2010. Through the OHI, CMS has asked states to increase the proportion of children who receive preventive dental services, as well as the proportion who receive dental sealants (see sidebar). CMS has also asked states to develop State Oral Health Action Plans (SOHAPs) to describe the steps they will take to achieve improvements. Under the auspices of the OHI, CMS is working with federal and state partners, dental and medical providers, managed care organizations, community advocates, and other oral health stakeholders to advance this work. Moving from Goal to Impact: A Quality Improvement Approach to Advancing Children’s Oral Health in Medicaid