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fact sheets
MEDICAID - FACT SHEET (January 2008)
EXTENDED CARE PERMITS - FACT SHEET (January 2008)
ELDER CARE - FACT SHEET (January 2008)
2008 PUBLIC POLICY AGENDA- FACT SHEET (December 2007)
DID YOU KNOW...
In Kansas,
adult
Medicaid
recipients currently only receive emergency dental
services.
Many adult Medicaid recipients are forced to use the
hospital
emergency
room for otherwise avoidable dental health issues.
Prevention makes
good financial and health sense. Providing comprehensive
dental services to adult Kansans receiving Medicaid
would prevent pain and suffering and the high cost of hospitalizations
and
advanced
disease that result from delayed care.
Issue: Adult
Medicaid
Recipients Need Access to Dental Services.
Rationale: Among all of the services
provided to the neediest Kansans, comprehensive
dental care is
not among them. If an adult Medicaid recipient
has a dental need, all costs must be paid out-of-pocket,
or it must
be
ignored.
DID YOU KNOW...
In the map above, the counties
in red do not have a
single dentist, and the counties in light
red have only .1 to
1 FTE dentist.
The population of dentists
is aging with few dentists leaving schools to replace them.
More areas will be facing a dental
shortage as the current aging population
retires.
There
is no dental school in Kansas.
Issue: All
Kansans need access to
preventive
care and treatment services that
are in close
proximity to
their
homes. The current work force situation
affects all of us.
Rationale: Many of the oral health conditions
facing Kansans
are infectious
and transmittable. Nationwide,
Americans miss 164 million hours of work and 51 million hours
of school each
year
because
of
dental disease and its associated
pain, or because of visits to the
dentist.
Oral Health Kansas...making oral
health
a priority because it matters!
MISSION
To improve oral health in Kansas through
advocacy, public awareness and education.
COALITION HISTORY
 In 2003, interested parties
from around the state identified critical issues which warranted
a more coordinated effort
to considerably
improve the oral health status of Kansans. Oral Health Kansas,
Inc. was born of this group’s efforts. The organization
has been built to a significant coalition of individuals
and organizations
representing widely diverse backgrounds. Oral Health Kansas
is a statewide membership organization. Anyone interested
in improving
the oral health status of all Kansans is welcome to join.
STRATEGIC
AREAS
Access to Care
 Supporting the development of a well-trained statewide network
of providers is a priority of the coalition. Efforts will focus
on developing strategies, removing barriers and creating the momentum
to ensure greater access to oral health care for all Kansans. Special
attention will be given to the most vulnerable populations, including
the elderly, low income, people with disabilities, pregnant women
and children.
Prevention
Kansas should not underestimate the importance
of prevention and preventive services in improving and maintaining
oral health as well as overall health. Opportunities currently
exist to expand the range of prevention options, including such
public health strategies as sealants, fluoridation, education,
home health visits and a host of other effective interventions.
Oral Health Status
Oral health conditions are the number one chronic disease in
children and contribute to a lack of school readiness and an
increase in
school absenteeism. We will assist in the identification, coordination
and effective use of data to focus strategies and decisions on
shaping policies, designing systems and funding efforts to improve
oral health outcomes.
Oral Health Leadership
Too many low-income people lack access to care and too few communities
in Kansas have taken advantage of cost effective prevention measures.
Many of our children and our older Kansans have gone too long without
good dental care. Improving the status of oral health care will
require vital leadership and resources at the state and local level.
We will work to expand the circle of leaders committed to this
important public health issue through education and advocacy.
Work
Force
Kansas lacks a sufficient number of dentists, especially in
the rural areas, and is experiencing a shortage of dentists
who will
accept Medicaid or HealthWave reimbursement. Using federal criteria,
87 of Kansas’ 105 counties are considered underserved. Unfortunately,
the future is not promising due to the expected number of dentists
approaching retirement age. We will work with other interested
parties to provide data regarding this issue and will work in concert
with others to develop a quality oral health workforce.
Questions:
Oral Health Kansas, Inc.
800 SW Jackson St., Ste. 1120
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: 785.235.6039
Fax: 785.233.5564
Email: OHKS@OralHealthKansas.org
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