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Virginia Oral Health Coalition Update

February 2018

In This Issue
 
Upcoming VaOHC Meetings

View our online 

March 22 | Petersburg
Community Conversation: Oral Health Care Access for Individuals with Special Health Care Needs

March 23-24 | Petersburg 
Practical Guide to Treating Dental Patients with Special Health Care Needs 

April 12 | Oakton
NOVA Oral Health Alliance

April 12 | Roanoke
Community Conversation: Oral Health Care Access for Individuals with Special Health Care Needs

April 13-14 | Roanoke 
Practical Guide to Treating Dental Patients with Special Health Care Needs

May 3 | Abingdon
Appalachian Oral Health Symposium
Save the Date

November 8 | Richmond
2018 Virginia Oral Health Summit
Save the Date

Check out our 
event calendar to view meeting times and exact locations for all dates listed above.

Please take a moment and support the Coalition's work.

 

 

Please check with your HR department to find out if your gift can be matched.  

  

Virginia Oral Health Coalition

4200 Innslake Drive

Glen Allen, Virginia 23060

sholland@vaoralhealth.org

804.269.8720

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Legislative Update:
Medicaid Expansion and Budget Reconciliation

Earlier this month, Virginia's House and Senate released their budgets with vastly different views on Medicaid expansion. 

The House's budget expands Medicaid to 300,000 Virginians through a two-pronged approach: 1) an amendment to expand income eligibility and use federal funds; and, 2) a federal waiver to add limited work requirements and other reforms to the current Medicaid system. The House budget proposes a mix of federal expansion dollars and assessments (tax) on hospitals to pay for expansion and fund raises for state workers and education and economic development initiatives.

The Senate budget does not include Medicaid expansion (or any federal expansion money) but does have a plan to broaden an existing Medicaid program for low-income individuals with severe mental illness or substance abuse disorders. This plan does not qualify as Medicaid expansion because it carves out a subset of the population, which means Virginia would pay 50% of the cost versus 10% in a Medicaid expansion scenario.  

What does this mean? 
At this point, the House and Senate budgets (and philosophies) are far apart. Check out The Commonwealth Institute's  side-by-side comparison of the two budgets for more details.

Up next, select members of the House and Senate (or "conferees") will meet in conference committee to reconcile the two budgets. The House named their conferees, all of whom show support for Medicaid expansion as outlined in the House budget. The Senate has not yet named their conferees (as of Feb. 28). 

What can you do? 
Make your voice heard! Let the House conferees know you support Medicaid expansion and appreciate their bipartisan budget proposal. 

House Conferees:
Similarly, let Senators know how important expansion is to your community, patients, and clients. 

Join the rally on March 1
Healthcare for All Virginians is also hosting a rally in Richmond tomorrow, March 1 at 11:30 a.m.sign up

Of Interest
  
Oral Health and Overall Health

Oral health and overall health are fundamentally intertwined. The following links present current information on how oral health and other social factors impact overall health and well-being. 
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Fluoride Varnish Training Resources

Non-dental providers can help ensure children have great oral health from the start. Below are resources about fluoride varnish application for pediatric and primary care providers from DentaQuest, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, and VaOHC: 

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Toolkit: Reframing Oral Health

Frameworks Institute, in partnership with DentaQuest Foundation, created "Reframing Oral Health" as a communications toolkit for advancing oral health reform. The toolkit includes framing recommendations, communications tools, and deeper research and learning opportunities. Explore the website and introductory video.

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Safety Net Dental Clinic Manual

The  Safety Net Dental Clinic Manual (2nd ed.) is designed to help safety net clinic staff, including clinical, administrative, and others, with all aspects of clinic development and ongoing operations. The manual, developed by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, includes six units that can be used in succession or independently. View the Safety Net Dental Clinic Manual.

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