Integrating oral and general health: the role of accountable care organizations
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Issue brief (Massachusetts Health Policy Forum)
- Author(s):
- Halasa, Yara, author Doonan, Michael, author
- Contributor(s):
- Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, issuing body.
- Publication:
- [Waltham, Massachusetts] : The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, October 6, 2016
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Accountable Care Organizations Delivery of Health Care, Integrated Dental Health Services United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Unlike dental care, which is the responsibility of dental providers, oral health care is broader and should be owned by all health providers regardless of discipline. The current environment, in which oral health is seen as a separate, stand-alone healthcare entity, does not foster comprehensive quality care. Evidence shows that oral health complications, such as infections that begin in the mouth, can travel throughout the body and lead to major health complications, even death. In parallel, a dental exam may reveal signs of general health problems, such as nutritional deficiencies and systemic diseases, including microbial infections, immune disorders, injuries, and some cancers. Furthermore, poor oral health is associated with a number of social ills, including limited active engagement in society, loss of productivity, school absenteeism, in addition to inappropriate emergency department use, underemployment and unemployment, and has an adverse effect on military readiness. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) offers an opportunity for innovations in the health care delivery systems and calls for a holistic approach to population healthcare. By testing value-based payment models, the ACA is encouraging changes in medical care delivery systems and financing to ensure and maintain wellness across healthcare domains. These models work by pooling financial risk among a wide spectrum of health care providers. This is an opportunity to move towards an integrated oral and general health system. With nearly 24% of Massachusetts' residents enrolled in Massachusetts' Medicaid program, MassHealth, Medicaid plays a major role in providing care for Massachusetts' most vulnerable populations. In April 2016, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services proposed standards for a MassHealth accountable care organization program, which seeks to better integrate the health care delivery system to provide more efficient care. A pilot program is expected to begin in December 2016, and the full program is expected to begin October 2017. This report aims to explore how Massachusetts can take advantage of this reform to better coordinate oral into overall health, and thereby enhance patient care, improve health, and reduce costs.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (39 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101770852 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101770852