HJBR Nov/Dec 2022

42 NOV / DEC 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE LDH CORNER beginning January 2023, LDH will begin working toward a goal of training at least 20 providers to serve the I/DD population — a priority in the fiscal year 2023 business plan published in early November 2022. Two advocates that we worked with to pass the I/DD dental benefit in the legisla- ture in 2021 shared their personal stories with us that help illustrate how much po- tential these expanded services could have toward improving the health and well-be- ing of the I/DD population. One of those advocates, Mary Kay Cowen, told us about her brother, 64-year-old Tommy, who has the limited intellectual capacity of an 18-month-old. Because Tommy is nonverbal and does not understand what his dentist is doing, he strongly resists attempts to perform an oral COLUMN LDH CORNER examination. The dental program specializ- ing in serving the I/DD population also had a yearslong wait. With scant opportunities to access dental services, when a problem emerged between routine visits, Tommy was unable to tell his caregivers what was causing him pain in his mouth. Months passed, and an infection originating in his mouth began to manifest in his feet, ankles, and calves. Fearing the worst, Cowen brought her brother to an urgent care facility where the medical staff told her that because Tommy is nonverbal, it was difficult to determine the origins of the infection. With the help of her brother’s private pro- vider, Cowen got Tommy an appointment at a hospital where he could undergo general anesthesia for an oral examination. It was FOR TOO LONG, dental services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabil- ities (I/DD) have been highly difficult to ac- cess and very limited in scope. In 2021, the Louisiana Legislature expanded dental ser- vices in the Medicaid program for I/DD in- dividuals, and with the help of the Louisiana Dental Task Force for Adults with I/DD, the Louisiana Department of Health launched a comprehensive, Medicaid-covered dental program in July 2022. Evidence and experience indicate that poor dental health is often closely linked with poor physical health, which is why this is a prioritized program in our fiscal year 2022 business plan and furthers our com- mitment to preventative health. Since many dental providers do not have the training or experience to serve the I/DD population, Louisiana’s Medicaid program plays a major role in delivering on our mission to improve health outcomes in Louisiana, so we are constantly working on ways to expand access and improve services — especially for our vulnerable residents. BRIDGING THE GAP: Oral Healthcare for Those with Intellectual and Developmental Challenges