HJNO Jan/Feb 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2023 27 Initiative 4: Increase Access to Dental Services for Adults with Developmental Disabilities Dental caries (tooth decay) remain the most prevalent chronic disease in adults de- spite being largely preventable, according to the National Institute of Health. The Louisiana Oral Health Coalition’s Oral Health Report Card, released in 2021, reports only 57% of all Louisiana residents ages 18-64 were seen by a dentist in the previous year compared to 66% of adults nationally. On average, American adults 20-64 have an average of 3.28 decayed or missing teeth. According to the Louisiana Dental Task Force for Adults with Developmental Disabili- ties, many adults living with severe and pro- found intellectual disabilities, as well as those with behavioral issues, have an aversion to probing in their mouth or are unable to co- operate to allow for proper teeth brushing or general exams, cleaning, and X-rays, and, therefore, require anesthesia or IV sedation in order to receive these services. While this population has a greater need for specialized dental services, there has historically been a severe lack of resources available for adults who require anesthesia or IV sedation for procedures needed for overall oral and physical health. The task force has cit- ed both a lack of providers available to serve the population and a lack of access to facilities for patients needing sedation services. In order to address the needs of this group, Act 450 passed during the 2021 Regular Leg- islative Session, which required LDH to im- plement comprehensive dental coverage for adults in the New Opportunities Waiver (NOW), Residential Options Waiver (ROW), and Support Waiver. The implementation of Act 450 creates a need for a larger network of providers who can provide these critical ser- vices. To achieve this goal, Medicaid and the Office for Citizens with Developmental Dis- abilities (OCDD) will raise awareness of need, educate providers on the new categories of eligibility, partner with experienced service providers to identify willing dental service providers, and offer them multiple training opportunities to learn the skills necessary to provide these services. Goal 1: Ensure a minimum of 20 dental providers are serving those living with developmental disabilities. Strategy: Partner with the Louisiana Den- tal Association to survey existing dental pro- viders to gauge capacity, and schedule two training seminars hosted by experienced pro- viders, with the goal of increasing provider participation in the Adult Waiver Dental Pro- gram and for residents of intermediate care facilities. Goal 2: Increase the percentage of recipients enrolled in the Adult Waiver Dental Program who receive a preventive or non-preventive dental service. Strategy: Medicaid will partner with the two Dental Benefit Plan Managers to raise aware- ness of the newly available services through Medicaid, and link those eligible for the Adult Waiver Dental Program with their dental plan. Additionally, OCDD will identify partners to provide outreach support and training to en- courage improved dental care at home.