dqf2019096

National: This investment supports the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to develop a set of resources, tools, and a convening designed to raise awareness among state legislators of evidence-based practices in improving lifelong oral health and eradicating childhood dental disease. Specifically, NCSL will track legislation and develop web-based resources about effective practices to improve access to oral health services for children and adults; produce a series of publications that raise awareness about oral health issues; and provide networking opportunities for policymakers to learn and share successes around oral health. As an organization, NCSL represents all 7,383 state legislators and nearly 3,000 legislative staff. Leveraging its networks, NCSL will be able to transfer information about the importance of oral health, provide examples of effective policies and programs that improve the oral health of gap populations, and bring together important stakeholders with the authority to create progress in this field. $147,508 will be used to support personnel time needed to support the implementation of this work, meeting expenses associated with convening stakeholders, communications and marketing costs to develop and disperse materials to legislators and staff, and administrative costs that support the execution of the proposed work. This proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 goal of mandatory inclusion of an adult dental benefit in publicly funded health insurance and the target that by 2020 at least 30 states have a comprehensive Medicaid adult dental benefit, and no states that currently have a Medicaid adult dental benefit roll back or eliminate that coverage. Grant funds will be paid in two installments, 50% ($73,754) on receipt of the signed Terms & Conditions and 50% ($73,754) after receipt and approval of the 6-month interim report.