JCH&L Considers Providing Dental Care To Special Needs Patients

By Gordon HopkinsJefferson Community Health and Life (JCH&L) is considering resuming a program to provide dental care for Apace, formerly known as Region V Services.Lana Likens, JCH&L Director of Public Relations, told FJN, “At the request of an advocate for Region V (Apace), JCH&L has been looking into whether we could once again provide dental care under anesthesia for Region V (Apace) clients. These services were offered in the past, but could not continue when a dental surgeon was no longer available to provide service and JCH&L had all payments denied by Medicare.” “We recognize that routine dental care for Region V clients is necessary, and often can only be accomplished safely under anesthesia,” explained Likens. “We are in the process of looking into whether coverage is available, and whether there is a dental surgeon who would again provide services.”Apace provides a variety of services for people with disabilities, which can provide unique challenges when it come to dental care. A local dentist, Jason Grant, D.D.S., explained some of the difficulties in a letter supporting the return of the program, “We face many challenges in bringing needed dental care to our area, but this is especially true for patients whose mental health or developmental issues prevent them from cooperating for care in a routine private office setting. As you are aware, dental care often arouses negative emotions. At times there is a varying degree of pain or discomfort, either in advance or during procedures. Many procedures require a prolonged appointment, often with a requirement to remain still in order to have a good outcome.” Dr. Grant wrote, “Some members of our community are not able to comply with these needs. In my office I do my best to meet needs to whatever degree I am able. However, some individuals need care beyond the level I am able to provide. For some this is a rare instance, and we are able to see for most appointments but need sedation services for certain procedures. For others, we are not able to see them safely at all. Some patients allow for limited care but are not compliant to the point where we are able to offer an ideal service. Over a long period, this will catch up and lead to problems that may have been preventable if ideal services were available.” Special need patients requiring dental care often must be transported locations in to Omaha, such as Boys Town, which can be a significant burden and emotionally unsettling for those with developmental challenges. Dr. Grant noted, “However, this creates challenges in terms of transportation. Also, there are many individuals that may still overwhelm their (dental care providers’) capacity.”Dr. Grant wrote, “I write this to support any efforts to locate new providers, and potentially to offer space and facilities locally to attract providers to our community, specifically the Jefferson Community Health and Life hospital, to allow better access to dental care for a vulnerable population.”As noted above by Likens, Medicare has denied payments to JCH&L for dental services. Some advocates hope that can change. A hearing will be held in Lincoln to allow for public input regarding changes to Nebraska Medicaid dental care. Nebraska Medicaid has collaborated with dental professionals across the state to develop multiple proposed changes to improve dental care. These changes aim to expand dental services and care for Medicaid beneficiaries and to increase efficiency for dental providers.Nebraska Medicaid will host a public hearing on the proposed changes on Monday, January 22, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Meadowlark Conference Room at 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln.“We cannot be successful without the valuable input and insights we get from our community members and stakeholders,” said Matt Ahern, Interim Director for Medicaid and Long-Term Care. “The public comment period provides transparency and accountability in our decision-making process. We look forward to active participation from our community stakeholders in shaping the future of dental services provided by Nebraska Medicaid.” Nebraska Medicaid encourages anyone interested in providing feedback to do so by emailing dhhs.regulations@nebraska.gov or providing comments in person during the public hearing on January 22, 2024, from 1 to 3 p.m. The input received will help inform the finalization of the dental changes, ensuring that they effectively address the needs of Nebraska Medicaid members.More information on the proposed changes can be found online at: https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Medicaid-Dental-Care.aspx.

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