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Virginia Organizations Awarded CMS Funding to Assist with Exchange Enrollment
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently awarded two Virginia organizations - the Virginia Poverty Law Center and Advanced Patient Advocates, LLC - to staff and train "navigators" who will assist individuals seeking to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as the Exchange, as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
 The Virginia Poverty Law Center will work with a statewide consortium of nine well-established legal services programs in the Commonwealth. Additionally, Advance Patient Advocates, LLC, will work with medical centers to identify uninsured individuals and provide education and assistance to help them make informed decisions about enrollment in the Exchange.
Virginia's Exchange will be operated by the federal government and will serve as an online marketplace for consumers to purchase qualified health and dental plans. Navigators have an essential role in guiding consumers through the enrollment process - including what, if any, dental insurance is purchased.
The ACA mandates that a pediatric dental benefit is offered in the Exchange, but does not require consumers to purchase this benefit. In Virginia, consumers have three options for purchasing a pediatric dental benefit (as well as family and individual dental plans) - the options include: a stand-alone dental plan; a qualified health plan partnered with a dental plan; and, a dental benefit embedded within a qualified health plan. Consumer costs may vary depending on how plans manage deductibles and cost sharing.
The Coalition intends to work closely with the navigators and other consumer advocates to underscore the importance of an oral health benefit. If you have any questions about oral health in the ACA, please contact Sarah Bedard Holland, Coalition executive director, at 804.269.8721.
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2013 Oral Health Summit: The Future of Oral Health Delivery
Mark your calendar to attend the 2013 Virginia Oral Health Summit on Friday, November 8 in Richmond. This year's Summit will focus on the future of oral health delivery, with ample opportunity for attendees to participate in crafting innovative new solutions to increase access to oral health services for Virginians. Thank you to the 2013 Premier sponsors, DentaQuest, LLC, and Delta Dental of Virginia.
 | | Dr. Marcia Brand |
Dr. Marcia Brand, Deputy Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will offer the keynote address on how the practice of health care is transforming through collaboration.
A plenary breakfast session, sponsored by Cigna, will also be held immediately prior to the Summit for human resources professionals and business leaders to discuss how utilization of dental benefits can improve health outcomes and save costs. Dr. William Hazel, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, will give welcome remarks.
Registration information will arrive in your Inbox after the holiday weekend. If you're not on our newsletter list, be sure to sign up to receive the latest Summit updates. Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are still available as well. Contact Esther Wong Hershman for sponsorship details and Samantha Dorr for all other Summit inquiries at 804.269.8720.
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Of Interest
Oral Health and Overall Health
 Oral health and overall health are fundamentally intertwined. The following links present current information on how oral health is connected to overall health well-being.
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Please visit our website for more oral health information
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