Groups ask Congress for midlevel provider money

May 20, 2010

A coalition of professional and advocacy groups is asking the U.S. Congress to put $15 million into pilot programs for midlevel providers, among several other oral health programs.

The new healthcare reform law authorizes several new oral health programs, but funding must come from a separate authorization process. In a letter to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI), the groups called on Congress to fund several measures, including surveillance, prevention, and workforce programs.

Perhaps the most controversial dental program in the healthcare reform legislation is an expanded role for midlevel dental care providers. The law calls for training for "alternative dental health care providers in order to increase access to dental healthcare services, specifically targeted at underserved communities."

The pilot programs will end after five years, and in order to get them started as soon as possible, Congress should allocate money to begin working with states interested in participating, the coalition wrote. It figures the government needs $15 million for this work in 2011.

The coalition also requested specific dollar amounts for several other programs:

For oral health public education, the coalition is asking for $5 million in fiscal year 2011
For research in managing caries, $8 million
For school-based sealant programs, $15 million
For training of primary care dentists and hygienists, $30 million
For expansion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's leadership, data collection, and "oral health delivery," $25 million
For updating oral health reporting in national health surveys, $5 million

The Children's Dental Health Project circulated a draft of the letter with the names of the following organizations as signatories:

American Dental Education Association
American Dental Hygienists' Association
Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors
Beckett Family Consultants
Children's Dental Health Project
Child Welfare League of America
Dental Health Foundation
First Focus
International Association for Dental Research
Maine Dental Access Coalition
Medicaid/SCHIP Dental Association
Michigan Oral Health Coalition
Mid Iowa Health Foundation
National Assembly of School-based Health Care
National Association of Dental Health Plans
New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition
New York Children's Action Network
New York State Oral Health Coalition
Oral Health America
Oral Health Kansas
Pew Campaign in the States
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
Voices for America's Children
Washington Dental Service Foundation