News Bite

Increased reimbursement rates for services coded with ABCD

In 2023, the Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) will implement a 40% increase in reimbursements for dental services coded as ABCD. Details can be found on in the state operating budget (page 311 of ESSB 5693), passed in the 2022 legislative session. The HCA is scheduled to post the finalized fee schedule on January 1, 2023.

Parent Bite

Plan Back-to-School Dental Appointments in Advance!

Between family gatherings, camping trips, road trips, and checking off other summer bucket list items, many parents and caregivers will find themselves in a last-minute rush to schedule a routine dental visit before the school year starts.

A back-to-school check-up can be key to fighting cavities (dental decay), one of the most common chronic diseases among school-aged children. According to the CDC, 20% of children between ages 5-11 have at least 1 cavity. Not only can cavities can be painful, they can have a negative impact on school performance and overall quality of life. A check-up before the school year starts is also a great time to re-set healthy oral health habits that may have stopped during the busy summer months.

Dental offices are always busy during this time of year. To plan ahead, get to know your child’s school district calendar to find days that may be appropriate for an appointment (school closure, planned early release). Some dental offices may have copies of district calendars on hand to help parents with scheduling, so be sure to ask when making an appointment.

For more helpful tips, visit the American Pediatric Dentists’ mychildrensteeth.org.

Health Equity Bite

Oral Health Disparities Among Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)

In a 2022 study of data collected during the 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health, researchers found that U.S. children with a developmental disorder (DD) had poorer oral health and more unmet dental needs compared to their counterparts without a DD. The study reports that while CYSHCN were found to have higher rates of dental service utilization, factors like household poverty levels, being uninsured, and higher severity of a DD led to worse health outcomes.

More support is needed to help dental providers develop the skills to care for children and youth with special health care needs. In a survey conducted by the Snohomish Health District’s Maternal and Child Health unit earlier this year, local pediatric dental providers shared that training is needed to serve children with complex medical and behavioral health conditions. Additionally, policy changes are needed to better support dental access for these families.

The state is taking steps to address these challenges. During the 2022 session, the Washington State Legislature expanded access to the ABCD program to include children and youth with special health care needs with a DD up to their 13th birthday. To support the expansion, the ABCD training course offers providers the opportunity to build the skills and confidence to effectively provide dental care to families with CYSHCN. See below for more information about this specific training.

Dental Provider Training Bite

Register for an ABCD Training on Sept. 28 with Dr. Paul Kahlon

The Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program connects Medicaid insured children under the age of 6, and children under 13 with a developmental disability indicator with a dental home. ABCD-certified providers receive enhanced fees for certain services while increasing access to care for lower-income families and improve oral health outcomes across the lifespan. Administrative support is readily provided by the Washington Health Care Authority.

Ready to get certified? Join Dr. Paul Kahlon on Wednesday, September 28, at Stellar Kids Dentistry in Mukilteo (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) for training phases I and II (of III). Training will include a live demonstration and light refreshments will be provided! Chairside, billing, and front office staff are more than welcome to participate. Click HERE to register, and email Brittany at bbevissciuto@snohd.org with any questions.

Register for ABCD Phase III Training (working with CYSHCN)

Are you a dental provider ready to complete phase III of the expanded ABCD training course? Visit this link to get started! You’ll learn how to provide compassionate dental care to children and youth with special health care needs.

Specific learning objectives include but are not limited to:

Understanding language, speech sounds, and social communication disorders
Understanding desensitization strategies
Understanding oral health disparities in the context of disability

Please note that to be eligible for this course, providers must also be trained in ABCD Phase I.

Mouth Matters

Attention Pediatric Medical Providers

Ready to support your young patient's life-long oral health journey? The Arcora Foundation’s Mouth Matters program provides basic training and administrative support for pediatric medical providers interested in boosting their skills in oral health education, screening for tooth decay, applying fluoride varnish, and referring out to dental services.

Contact Madlen Caplow, Mouth Matters Program Manager, at mcaplow@arcorafoundation.org to get started!

Resource Bite

DentistLink

All people in Washington, whether insured by Medicaid, private insurance, or no insurance, can receive dental referrals through DentistLink.

Those who request assistance through DentistLink will be connected to a referral specialist who can help locate an available dentist that meets their specific care needs. Specialists may also be able to connect clients to other resources like child care and transportation. Spanish-speaking referral specialists are available.

Call/text DentistLink at 844-888-5465, complete an online referral form, or contact the Snohomish County ABCD Coordinator (Brittany Bevis-Sciuto) directly at ChildrenDentalInfo@snohd.org or leave a voicemail at 425-339-5219 for assistance.

Health Care Authority Pediatric Health Topic Listserv

Stay informed about the latest pediatric dental topics. Last month, HCA announced the creation of this new listserv to ensure providers who offer services to children and youth receive updates specific to pediatric policy and program updates. The HCA has added dental topics to the newly created listserv.

To stay informed on pediatric projects, including pediatric dental health topics, subscribe to the Pediatric Health listserv.

Community & Collaboration Bite

Join the Dental Access Coalition!

The Dental Access Coalition (DAC) is a collective of providers and dedicated community partners working together toward promoting oral health and ensuring access to dental care for all people.

The next DAC meeting will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams on Friday, September 23 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. For all those interested in joining the coalition or learning more, please contact Brittany Bevis-Sciuto at bbevissciuto@snohd.org.

The DAC mission:

Improve access to comprehensive, coordinated dental care
Mobilize community resources, agencies, and institutions to action
Advocate for prevention and early intervention.

Community Event Collaboration

Do you have an idea for a community event geared toward increasing access to dental care for babies and/or children in Snohomish County? Support may be available through the Snohomish Healthy District’s Healthy Communities team. Get in touch with Brittany Bevis-Sciuto at bbevissciuto@snohd.org for information.

Summer 2022