Beginning July 1, Health Share of Oregon, the state’s largest coordinated care organization (CCO), will offer its members a choice of nine dental plans. Advantage Dental Services, LLC joins the CCO to provide fully integrated health care to more than 200,000 Oregon Health Plan members Health Share serves in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.
“We’re pleased to add Advantage Dental to our partners in health transformation,” said Janet L. Meyer, chief executive officer for Health Share. “Dental care remains a top health care need for low income adults and children, and good oral health is critical to ensuring physical wellness and preventing serious illness.
Based in Redmond, Advantage Dental is owned and operated by dentists. Their network of dentists and conveniently located offices throughout the Portland Tri-County area will serve nearly 3,500 Health Share members.
“I am pleased that Health Share and Advantage have developed a contract that fits within the scope of the triple aim; better care, better health at a better cost. Advantage Dental looks forward to working with the folks at Health Share and the Tri County communities to accomplish these lofty goals,” noted R. Mike Shirtcliff, DMD, President/CEO of Advantage Dental Services, LLC.
Smooth integration of dental care
Integration of the dental care system into physical and mental health care, which began in January 2014, has proved a very smooth transition so far, Meyer noted. “Our dental partners had been planning in advance and considering what they needed to make this transition successful. They have been very well prepared for any systems or logistical challenges that could have occurred.”
Health Share leadership has long considered the benefits of integrating dental care and dentists have had a voice at Health Share since the CCO was formed in 2012. Dr. Michael Biermann, a practicing dentist in Portland, serves on the Health Share Board of Directors.
Addressing dental care is critical to Health Share’s mandate to achieve the Triple Aim of better access to health care and better health outcomes delivered at a lower cost. ”It’s just too important to wait,” noted Meyer.
Research has long shown a direct connection between oral health and chronic physical ailments, including diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease. Integrating the dental care system with physical and mental health care delivery has been an important goal of the Oregon Health Authority.
Dental emergencies are a factor in the number of hospital emergency room visits, a critical area to address when reducing health care costs. People diagnosed with mental health or addictions are also significantly more likely to have poor dental health, due to the effects of medications, alcohol and drugs, often in combination with poor oral hygiene. And ensuring preventive dental care for pregnant women and children will help ensure a lifetime of better oral and physical health for Oregonians.
Nine dental plans
Health Share now offers its members a choice of nine dental care plans, and a network of over 900 dentists:· Access Dental Care
· Advantage Dental Services
· Capitol Dental Care
· CareOregon Dental
· Family Dental Care
· Kaiser Permanente Dental
· Managed Dental Care of Oregon
· ODS Community Health Dental Plan
· Willamette Dental Group
About Health Share of Oregon
Serving over 215,000 members in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, Health Share of Oregon is Oregon’s largest coordinate care organization. Health Share is a unique community-wide partnership created to ensure quality, cost-effective physical, dental and mental health care for Oregon Health Plan members. With a network of over 18,000 providers, including over 900 dentists, Health Share provides an integrated community delivery system with the objective of achieving better care, better health and lower costs for the Medicaid population and for the region.
Health Share is a collaborative of 11 founding partners: Adventist Health, CareOregon, Central City Concern, Clackamas County, Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health, Multnomah County, Oregon Health & Science University, Providence Health & Services, Tuality Health Alliance and Washington County.
About Advantage Dental Services
Advantage Dental was founded in 1994 by a group of dentists in Oregon, concerned with the lack of access to dental care in rural Oregon. The business model addressed this concern as-well-as the need for affordable and effective dental insurance to groups of all sizes throughout Oregon. Advantage Dental currently provides dental services state-wide to almost 250,000 Oregon Health Plan recipients. With a network of almost 350 contracted providers and 30 clinics, Advantage Dental is strategically located throughout Oregon to serve the un- and under insured populations. Advantage Dental is geographically the largest and numerically the second largest dental network in Oregon.
Advantage Dental Services, LLC joins coordinated care organization to provide dental health care to Oregon Health Plan members in the Tri-County area
April 25, 2014
