Important:  A public hearing on SB 754 (establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program) is scheduled for March 3, 2020 at 2:45 PM at the Legislative Office Building – Room 101, 33 North State Street, in Concord. SB754  requires the DHHS Commissioner to solicit information and to contract with dental managed care organizations to provide dental care under the Medicaid managed care program.

Background: On July 19, 2019, the Governor signed into law HB 692 instructing the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare a plan for the implementation of an adult dental benefit into a value-based care platform.

In his July 22nd press release, Governor Sununu stated,  “For the first time in New Hampshire history, we are taking steps to create access to quality oral health care for adults with disabilities on Medicaid and other Medicaid recipients. Dental health is directly tied to overall physical health. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure that Medicaid recipients can safeguard their smiles – and their overall health.”

Note: The  current Medicaid adult dental benefit is limited to the treatment of infection and severe pain, as a result most Medicaid recipients are unable to maintain good dental health.

On September 26, 2019, New Hampshire the Department of Health and Human Services convened the first public working group session, per HB 692 (Ch. 268, Laws of 2019), to establish a public planning process for the development of an implementation plan to incorporate an adult dental benefit into a value-based care platform within the New Hampshire Medicaid Care Management Program.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services setup a Web page specific to the activities of the HB4 Working Group.

Upcoming Meetings

• To be Announced

Resources
Meeting documents, minutes and resources will be posted on  https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/ombp/medicaid/hb692/index.htm.  
Correspondence email: HB692AdultDental@dhhs.nh.gov.

Meeting Materials (documents are posted on the DHHS site and are listed here and linked as a convenience for our members.)

• Minutes from the October 8 2020 meeting
  • Summary of legislation and cost estimates for an adult dental benefit in NH Medicaid
• Minutes from the April 16, 2020 meeting
• Minutes from the March 12, 2020 meeting
• Minutes from the February 27, 2020 meeting
  • Adult Dental Benefit Cost Estimates
• Minutes from the February 13, 2020 meeting
  • NH Medicaid SFY 2018 Enrollment, Non-ED dental expense, and ED dental expense
  • SFY 18 NH Medicaid Non-Dental Non-ED Claims Analysis
• Minutes from the January 16, 2020 meeting
  • Detailed Benefit/Plan Description, Revised
  • HRSA Postdoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry Funding Opportunity
• Minutes from the December 19, 2019 meeting
  • NH Medicaid Adult Dental Program: Design and Cost Considerations
• Minutes from the December 5, 2019 meeting
  • Summary of NHDS Medicaid Participation Survey
• Minutes from the November 7, 2019 Meeting
  • NHHF Envolve Adult Dental Carve-In
  • Delta Dental Actuarial Report
  • ADA Dentist Participation in Medicaid or CHIP
• Minutes from the October 24, 2019 Meeting
  • Northeast Delta Dental and DentaQuest handout
  • Delta Dental Preventive Plan Cost Estimates
  • AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire handout
• Minutes from the October 10, 2019 Meeting
  • Adult Medicaid Enrollment
  • Oral Health Capacity and Demand Environmental Scan Sample Questions
• Minutes from the September 27, 2019 Meeting

Resources

The Journal of Dental Hygiene, Vol. 92, No. 6, Released December 2018
Access to Preventive Oral Health Services for Homebound Populations: A pilot program
Patricia Crete, RDH, MS; Linda D. Boyd, RDH, RD, EdD;
Joan K. Fitzgerald, CPHDH, BS; Lisa M. LaSpina, RDH, MS

DentaQuest – Keys to Success – Released in May 2018
Value-Based Care
by Danielle Apostolon, Senior SNS Project Manager

National Association of Dental Plans –  Released Nov 23, 2017
ADP Analysis Shows Adults with Medicaid Preventive Dental Benefits Have Lower Medical Costs for Chronic Conditions

Singhal, A. et al. – Health Affairs – 34 NO. 5 (2015): 749–756 Released in May 2015
Eliminating Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage In California Led To Increased Dental Emergency Visits And Associated Costs