DELTA DENTAL: To Launch Healthy Families Rural Demonstration Project
The Healthy Families program last week awarded Delta Dental Plan of California $1.2 million in new funding to launch several rural demonstration projects. The projects will make it easier for children enrolled in Healthy Families in over 31 rural counties to obtain dental care. The projects will also provide significant support for dozens of community-based dental clinics, mobile dental vans that travel into remote areas and rural dental offices. "We will work aggressively ... to ensure dental care covered under Healthy Families reaches some of the most geographically isolated beneficiaries of the program," said Michael Kaufmann, Delta's senior vice president of State Government Programs. The newly funded rural demonstration projects to be launched by Delta, or in alliance with other strategic partners, include:
- $850,000 in grants to community-based clinics to purchase equipment, increase staffing and conduct outreach activities in conjunction with the California Primary Care Association to sign up Healthy Families eligibles.
- $225,000 to extend the University of Southern California "Healthy Smiles Dental Van" into 18 of the 31 counties. The dental van program currently serves Denti-Cal patients.
- $250,000 to offer a combined Blue Cross, Delta Dental and Vision Service Plan benefits package, allowing migratory workers, seasonal workers, fishing and forestry workers and Native Americans eligible under Healthy Families to seek care from a single, statewide health, dental and vision provider.
- $37,000 in rate enhancements for certain dental procedures to encourage more rural dentists to participate in the program (Delta release, 9/18).