Calif. Medicaid chief promises dental changes for kids

Feb 24 2012

California's state Medicaid chief is promising changes to dental care for kids, and North Carolina rolls out a medical home model for pregnant women.

Sacramento Bee: State Health Chief Vows Changes To Sacramento County Dental Program
The state's Medi-Cal chief, under pressure to improve dental care for Sacramento's poor children, pledged this week to implement changes so kids won't have to wait months to receive treatment for painful, rotted or broken teeth. In response to concerns raised by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, Toby Douglas outlined the steps that the state Department of Health Care Services will take to ensure that the more than 110,000 Sacramento County children with Medi-Cal get "high quality and timely" dental care (Bazar, 2/24). 

Stateline: Pregnancy Medical Homes Gain Momentum In North Carolina
Launched less than a year ago, [North Carolina Medicaid Director Craigan] Gray's program, called pregnancy medical homes, is showing promise. ... To qualify, primary care doctors, obstetricians, nurse midwives and public health clinics must agree to screen every Medicaid-eligible woman who tests positive for pregnancy to determine whether she is at risk for complications. ... As an encouragement to participate in pregnancy medical homes, the Medicaid program pays doctors an additional $200 per patient (Vestal, 2/24).