GRANT00346

Support to the Medicaid-CHIP State Dental Association to promote transformative change in the delivery and payment systems of State Medicaid programs through the development and implementation of innovative, state-specific, quality-driven preventive care and payment models for young children. Systems change is needed to effectively prevent dental disease, maintain oral health and provide quality driven, efficient care to Medicaid/CHIP dental beneficiaries. Traditional administrative strategies employed by State programs are no longer effective in achieving healthy outcomes, assuring quality care, and in controlling costs. State Medicaid/CHIP dental programs fundamentally operate through a series of interdependent systems. These systems include Care, Community, Policy and Financing. State programs are responsible to identify and enroll eligible beneficiaries within communities; provide access to dental care; implement policies that support quality driven care; and finance dental care services. Systems interaction can create barriers and challenges, or provide incentives and coordination to manage oral disease, improve health outcomes, and improve cost-effectiveness of care.