In the News

Tim Walz, the vice president nominee for the Democratic Party, could help advance certain oral healthcare initiatives based on his actions as the current governor of Minnesota, according to Melissa Burroughs, the director of policy at CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.

In this mixed methods case study, we collected teledentistry claims data from patient electronic health records encompassing various types of teledentistry utilization in clinical settings and through community outreach from a Dental Support Organization (DSO) in Oregon from January 2021 to November 2022.

According to a new study from CareQuest and the American Institute of Dental Public Health, of the more than 9 million veterans who are eligible for medical care from the VA, 85% are not eligible for dental coverage.

Nearly 190 organizations signed a letter urging legislators to pass the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act. Dental and oral health organizations that signed the bill include the Carequest Institute for Oral Health and more.

Recent data from CareQuest shows that about 12 million adults and children lost their dental coverage between April and September of 2023, with an additional two million people estimated to have lost coverage between September and December 2023.

Kevin Henry interviews Lisa Heaton from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health about the importance of health screenings in dental practices. They discuss the disconnect between patients' willingness to undergo screenings and the low percentage of patients actually receiving them.

Nationally, over 6 million adults lost their dental coverage in 2023 with Hispanic people being twice as likely to have lost dental insurance than white non-Hispanic individuals, according to a CareQuest Institute for Oral Health survey.

In the U.S., 92% of voters across the political spectrum support adding a dental benefit to Medicare, according to a report from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network.

Kaz Rafia, DDS. Chief Health Equity Officer at CareQuest Institute for Oral Health (Boston). Dr. Rafia is the inaugural chief health equity officer at CareQuest, which he has successfully transitioned into a sustainable and impactful grantmaking institution. In his role, is particularly focused on increasing health equity, Medicare and Medicaid advocacy, safety net clinics and healthcare workforce support. He is active in the Health Equity Compact and contributes to their efforts towards health equity in the state of Massachusetts.

Eighty-five percent of veterans are ineligible for dental coverage through the Veterans Affairs (VA), making lack of access to dental care a significant and devastatingly common issue for those who have served our country.