G-2411-22231

Health Care for All (HCFA) is a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts that promotes health justice by working to reduce disparities and ensure coverage and access for all. The organization advocates for a more equitable, integrated, accessible, and affordable oral health system in the state.

Over the past year, with the support of CareQuest Institute grant funding, HCFA carried out several project activities to continue building a coalition of oral health advocates and engage community members about oral health issues and ongoing efforts to protect dental coverage for vulnerable populations in Massachusetts. In 2024, HCFA's project efforts resulted in the organization:

Developing and distributing a survey on oral health screening and care activities to contacts at Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) throughout the state, resulting in a deeper understanding of the barriers and opportunities to integrate oral health into primary care;

Expanding the Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce (OHAT), through Community Voices Meetings, which brought together community organizations, clinical and academic leaders, and state government officials to create and refine HCFA’s 2025 advocacy priorities; and

Educating policymakers on oral health integration (OHI) and the impact of oral health on overall health and equity through HCFA’s Health Care Academy for state legislators and staff during the Legislative Oral Health Caucus convening.

These activities are consistent with work that HCFA has prioritized over the past three years and the organization’s campaigns for oral health equity have resulted in the creation of an empowered network that can be mobilized to improve health equity throughout Massachusetts. HCFA’s relationships with community- and faith-based organizations allowed it to effectively understand peoples’ needs in the wake of the Steward Health Care bankruptcy and help state leaders at the Department of Public Health ensure that residents in the catchment areas of Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center could access necessary services.

HCFA's proposed scope of work builds on the organization's advocacy experience at both the state and federal levels and incorporates community voices through formal and informal data collection and engagement. In 2025, HCFA's priorities include maintaining its proactive advocacy for oral health integration and increased access to care, engagement with community members through events, materials, and educational sessions, and policy education for legislative stakeholders on oral health, all while staying nimble to address any threats to the state’s Medicaid program. In relation to the organization’s advocacy goals, HCFA has refined and will continue to pursue its “Take 10” bill proposal, which would incentivize dentists to take at least 10 new MassHealth members in geographic areas where residents struggle to access care.

The promotion of oral health integration with MassHealth, ACOs, and states will include consistent data collection and ongoing collaboration with community and federally qualified health center partners. HCFA will also stress the importance of strengthening coverage for dentures and periodontal maintenance as part of their advocacy. Still, the energy to expand access to oral health care and promote oral health integration remains high, HCFA anticipates a significant level of effort will be committed to the defense of expanded adult dental benefits and education of policymakers on the impacts associated with both protecting and expanding coverage.

This proposal is being recommended for grant funding of $184,390, which represents less than 2% of the organization’s overall budget. Grant funds will support personnel across five project-related positions as well as an oral health policy consultant to provide clinical insights to the advocacy efforts. The recommended funding will help HCFA respond to timely opportunities to increase interest and support for oral health integration, and policies that support it, as well as threats to the state’s Medicaid budget and related oral health coverage. The remaining funds support OHAT meetings and printed materials.