1802-13884

This investment supports ACHIEVA/The Arch of Greater Pittsburgh to act as a lead convener in the Pittsburgh community as part of the Grassroots Engagement Strategy. With a focus on providing lifelong support to people with disabilities, The Arch of Greater Pittsburgh operates a disability healthcare initiative that works through education, advocacy, and policy change to increase access to care for the disabled. The Arch of Greater Pittsburgh’s key successes in Year 3 included strengthening relationships with legislative oral health champions; supporting efforts to include adult dental services in the state’s Medicaid program; and raising awareness regarding oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations. Oral Health 2020 investment of $100,525 will be used to continue work with legislators, policymakers, and community advocates to champion reviving and enhancing Pennsylvania’s Medicaid adult dental benefit. The Arch of Greater Pittsburgh will also collaborate with deeply-rooted consumer advocacy groups and other grassroots lead organizations in the state to organize and train self-advocates, helping to elevate their voice in the policymaking process. ACHIEVA will also continue its collaboration with a local consumer group to help demonstrate the failure of the Benefit Limit Exception mechanism to adequately provide access to oral health care for those with critical health needs. The work plan for Year 4 is focused on affecting change across systems of policy, financing, care and community. This proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 Goal 6 of improving the public perception of the value of oral health to overall health and the target that oral health is increasingly included in health dialogue and public policy.