NMDA Journal Spring 2020

10 New Mexico Dental Journal, Spring 2020 Introduction Oral health has been identified as a signifi- cant contributor to overall health. Neverthe- less, tooth decay continues to be the most common chronic disease despite being pre- ventable. Underserved communities face innumerable barriers that prevent them access to dental services, such as the high cost of dental treatments, the lack of dental professionals accepting Medicaid, provider shortages in rural areas, lack of health liter- acy, transportation, immigration status, and language, among others. Increasing access to dental care services is a strategy to close gaps and reduce oral health disparities in New Mexico, improving overall health and quality of life. This Memorial aims to address some of the barriers that prevent under- served populations from accessing dental services. Legislative Mandate Convene a task force to study the way that Medicaid coverage can be expanded to pro- vide additional dental care for children enrolled in Medicaid and to further study: • Expansion of participation in the dental care provider network accepting Medicaid; • Increasing the number of providers enrolled in Medicaid; • Increase reimbursement rates to Medicaid providers accordingly; • Ways to increase access for Medicaid patients; and • Ways to drive down the number and cost of Medicaid acute visits over time. The Memorial specifically identified organiza- tions to make up the Task Force. The Depart- ment’s staff determined that additional members from the community having experi- ence with the New Mexico Medicaid process and users of the system needed to be included. Membership includes representa- tives from: • New Mexico Human Services Department • New Mexico Dental Association • New Mexico Dental Hygienist Association • New Mexico Oral Health Coalition • New Mexico Pediatric Association • University of New Mexico Dental Sciences • Health Action New Mexico • Native American Professional Parent Resources (IHS) • New Mexico Delta Dental (NMDD) • New Mexico DentaQuest (NMDQ) • New Mexico Hospital Association • New Mexico Primary Care Association • New Mexico Voices for Children • Presbyterian Medical Services • New Mexico Health Resources • New Mexico Department of Oral Health (NMDOH) staff, including representatives from the Developmental Disability and Support Division (DDSD) Specialty Clinic, Population and Community Health Bureau and Office of Oral Health Meetings were held on July 12, 2019, August 23, 2019, September 27, 2019, and October 25, 2019. The task force members were very inter- ested in improving oral health access for chil- dren. Various oral health issues and related issues were discussed in detail by the Task Force. The following reflects their discussions and recommendations. Medicaid Provider and Participant Information The New Mexico Dental Health Care Board states that there are an estimated 1,216 licensed dentists in New Mexico. Based on the information received, this report will not iden- tify the number of providers currently practic- ing in the state of New Mexico due to the lack of specific provider information. For example, there are some dentists licensed in New Mex- ico but not practicing in the state, some may have moved away, or the provider may be deceased. The New Mexico Dental Health Care Board does license dental providers. Upon licen- sure, the providers can participate in the Medicaid program. The providers have the MEDICAID PROGRESS SENATE MEMORIAL 96 TASK FORCE REPORT November 1, 2019