The National Council on Disabilities recently released its second report focused on the oral healthcare needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
To develop the report, the Medicaid | Medicare | CHIP Services Dental Association worked with the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry and the Special Care Dentistry Association to examine factors that influence oral healthcare providers' decisions to treat individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to participate in government programs that provide coverage for these services.
The report concluded that Medicare and Medicaid programs do not support dental care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and found a lack of integrated dental-medical care models for these individuals. It also found that Medicaid dental programs do not link dental services to medical necessity and that state Medicaid programs are not federally mandated to cover dental services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The report made recommendations for Congress, federal agencies, professional organizations and dental professionals to address these issues and improve care. This includes the creation of a government program in Medicare to provide treatment at a lower cost to aging adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in noninstitutionalized settings.