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Excellent Oral Health for ALL Virginians

In This Issue
2015 VaOHC Legislative Day
Shop & Support Oral Health
State Budget and Oral Health Policy Update
Webinar: Marketplace Dental Benefits - Now Online
Of Interest
2015 VaOHC Legislative Day
Tuesday, Feb. 3
 
VaOHC staff, board and partners will visit the Virginia General Assembly on Tuesday, February 3 to discuss oral health policy issues with legislators. Anyone is welcome to attend. A light breakfast and talking points will be provided.

 Register today
 
Click here to learn more about our 2015 legislative priorities.
  
Shop & Support Oral Health!

Last-minute holiday shopping on your to-do list? Shop Amazon Smile and a portion of your purchase will be donated to VaOHC!

Please take a moment to support the Coalition's work.

 

 

 

Read about the Coalition's accomplishments

 

Please check with your HR department to find out if your gift can be matched. 

December 2014 Newsletter

State Budget and Oral Health Policy Update

 

Governor Announces Biennial Budget

Last week, Governor McAuliffe announced proposed amendments to the second year of the 2014-2016 biennial budget. Funding for dental benefits for pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid and FAMIS was included in the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) proposed budget. Additionally, he introduced several amendments in support of Medicaid expansion. The legislature will consider the Governor's amendments as well as amendments introduced by other policy makers, and decide whether to keep the amendments or remove them from the budget.

 

Public hearings will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2015, regarding the proposed 2014-2016 biennial state budget. For more information, click here.

 

How You Can Help

Legislators need to hear from you. Funding for dental benefits for pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid and FAMIS is not secure. Join us on Tuesday, February 3 for our 2015 legislative day -- click here to register. Or, contact your legislator. Visit our website for a fact sheet and a link to find your representatives.

 

FAMIS Coverage at Risk

Federal SCHIP funding supports Virginia's FAMIS program, which provides affordable medical and dental insurance coverage to nearly 200,000 children and pregnant women in Virginia. [Read more] SCHIP funding will expire on September 30, 2015, unless Congress acts to extend funding.

 

How You Can Help

Consider signing on to this letter in support of SCHIP funding extension. To sign on, contact Carrie Wampler with your organization's name. Visit our website to view a fact sheet and find your congressional representatives.
 

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Webinar: Marketplace Dental Benefits - Now Online

 

Thanks to a generous grant from the Northern Virginia Health Foundation, VaOHC hosted an updated version of the webinar "Helping Consumers Choose Dental Coverage in the Marketplace" for navigators, assisters and others helping with exchange enrollment. We are pleased to make an archive of the webinar as well as a dental benefits fact sheet (in English and Spanish) available on our website. Click here to access these resources. 

 

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Of Interest

  

Oral Health and Overall Health

Smile Circle 

Oral health and overall health are fundamentally intertwined. The following links present current information on how oral health is connected to overall health and well-being.  

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Virginia Receives Federal Health Innovation Grant


Virginia has been awarded a $2.6 million, one-year federal grant to develop the Virginia Health Innovation Plan, which will incorporate a population health goal for "better care for selected mental and oral health conditions through improved integration with primary care."
 

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ADA News: U.S. House Approves Oral Health Spending

 

The House of Representatives recently passed a spending bill that would support dental care, oral health research and residency training through FY2015.

 

Read the ADA article for details about the spending bill 

 

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Teaching Oral-Systemic Health Program Website Launch

 

NYU College of Nursing announces the launch of a new website for its Teaching Oral-Systemic Health or "TOSH" program. TOSH is designed to prepare advanced practice registered nurse students with a core set of competencies to prioritize oral-systemic health promotion and disease prevention, provide evidence-based oral-systemic health care in a variety of primary care settings, and collaborate in interprofessional teams to reduce oral health disparities across the lifespan.

 

View the newly-launched TOSH website

 

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Downloadable Fluoridation Resources (Spanish Available) 

 

The Campaign for Dental Health (CDH) has free, downloadable resources for health professionals to use when educating patients and caregivers about oral health and water fluoridation, including patient and provider handouts, posters, letter templates and talking points. Spanish versions available. 

 

View the CDH fluoridation resources for health professionals  

 

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Please visit our website for more oral health information