Vol. 1, Issue 2

Happy summer! The sun is, finally, making an appearance. But the dreary weather this spring didn’t dull our team’s enthusiasm to shine through their community outreach efforts, including:

Inland Northwest Dental Conference (Spokane).
Communities of Color Coalition Health Fair (Lynnwood).
Family Fun Fair (Spokane).
Thurston-Mason Counties Dental Society Charity Golf Tournament (Lacey).

We look forward to seeing more of you during office visits and future tabling events. In the meantime, continue reading to find valuable updates, CDE opportunities, and more.

Latest news for Washington state dental providers

Recruitment underway for Dental Access Improvement Team.

DentistLink has entered a new public-private partnership with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA). The goal is to connect more Apple Health (Medicaid) enrolled people with dental care, as well as encourage more oral health providers to accept Apple Health. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, more than 7,000 users accessed DentistLink through the HCA website, with a total of 18,977 users receiving a referral during this time.

An exciting piece of this partnership is the Dental Access Improvement Team (DAIT), which is currently recruiting new members. DAIT members are oral health providers who see adult patients with Apple Health, with a shared purpose of creating greater access to dental care for Apple Health enrolled people across the state of Washington.

As a DAIT member, you will:

Receive an annual stipend to recruit fellow oral health professionals to accept Apple Health insurance.
Act as mentor/champion of this work with colleagues.
Recruit through dental society meetings, study clubs, oral health education events or conferences, and one-on-one consultations.
Receive ongoing support and resources from DentistLink to help you be successful in peer-to-peer recruitment.

Want to learn more and get involved? Contact Carl George, Senior Outreach Specialist, at cgeorge@arcorafoundation.org.

Order free brochures through the new Arcora Foundation online order platform.

Your team can order free patient education materials from our robust catalog of brochures, posters, and rack cards. Our new system will allow your team to save shipping information and past orders to make reordering a breeze.

Once you sign up and create your free account, you can order materials to be delivered to your practice at no cost. If you are a DentistLink referral partner, you can access the order form through your partner portal.

Create your free account.

After-Pregnancy Coverage benefits extended from 2 months to 12 months postpartum.

Starting June 2022, After-Pregnancy Coverage (APC) for Apple Health (Medicaid) enrollees will provide comprehensive Apple Health coverage for people any time in the 12 months after their pregnancy ends. Previously, APC provided only 2 months of post pregnancy coverage. This comprehensive coverage includes dental care.

See details on APC extension.

New HCA contract for remote spoken language interpreting.

The Health Care Authority (HCA) and Universal Language Service signed a new spoken language contract to provide over-the-phone and video remote interpreting services. This also marks the end of the HCA contract for spoken language interpreting emergency provisions.

Apple Health (Medicaid) providers must register to use the Universal Language Service over-the-phone and video remote interpreting services. To register, contact United Language Service at accounts@ulsonline.net.

Dentistry out in the community

"We had a great time promoting oral health wellness at the Early Childhood Expo! The turnout was excellent with lots of smiling little faces. Liberty Elementary School was the perfect venue. The great news is that nearly every child has an established relationship with a dentist and attends regular check-ups."

Dr. Paul Kahlon, ABCD Champion, Stellar Kids Dentistry, Snohomish County

When you're an ABCD provider, you have access to a local Coordinator and Dental Champion to help best prepare your patients and team for success. Thanks to ABCD, Washington is a national leader in oral health care access for young children enrolled in Medicaid. In 2020, 49% of Apple Health (Medicaid) enrolled children 6 years old and younger in the state used at least one dental service.

Learn more about ABCD.

Free CDE opportunities

Now Online: Cannabis and E-Cigarettes (Vaping): Health effects and advising patients.

Presenters: Dr. Benjamin W. Chaffee and Dr. Barry Taylor

CDE: 1.5 credit hours

Current trends show a move away from cigarette use and toward nicotine e-cigarettes (vapes). While this increased use of e-cigarettes potentially represents a less harmful alternative to conventional tobacco cigarettes, it isn’t without its negative health effects.

This recorded webinar is designed to help you and your team understand the role dental professionals play in knowing the health implications of non-cigarette products and how to provide proper patient treatment and counseling.

Take online CDE course.

Now Online: Your Recommendation Matters: COVID-19 vaccine information for dental offices.

Presenters: Dr. Jax Hermer and Dr. Theresa Madden

CDE: 1 credit hour

Your patients trust your dental team to provide guidance on not only oral health, but the health of their whole bodies. This includes objective, fact-based information on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This recorded webinar discusses COVID-19 vaccination information and talking points for dental team members. Topics include current Washington state—and specifically Pierce County—vaccination rates, the science and safety behind vaccines, and the COVID-19 specific vaccine formulation and dosage schedules. Presenters discuss FAQs and fact-based responses in how to talk to both patients and parents about the vaccine.

Developed in partnership with the Public Health Centers for Excellence.

Take online CDE course.

Earn free CDE credits with our online courses.

More than 520 dental providers completed Arcora Foundation free CDE training last year to help improve care delivery and increase patient satisfaction. Visit our Oral Health Learning Hub to take free, high-quality online CDE courses on your own schedule.

Explore full course catalog.

Arcora Foundation provides free continuing dental education opportunities to support the dental workforce in Washington state. Courses are developed based on feedback from past attendees and our CDE Advisory Group. All courses qualify for CDE credit hours. Arcora Foundation is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.

Upcoming SmileMobile schedule

The SmileMobile is headed to Western Washington for the summer! The schedule of our mobile dental clinic's upcoming stops is below.

If you have any questions about the SmileMobile or would like to get involved as a volunteer, contact Karri Amundson at kamundson@arcorafoundation.org.

Date	Clinic Location
June 13 – 15	White Salmon
June 20 – 24	Olympia/Lacey
June 27 – July 1	Langley
July 6 – 8	Tacoma
July 11 – 15	Longview
July 18 – 21	Vancouver
July 26 – 29	Vancouver
August 1 – 5	Everett

Opportunities in Apple Health (Medicaid)

Enroll as an Apple Health provider.

Did you know that reimbursement rates recently increased by 100% for nearly all adult dental services covered by Apple Health (Medicaid)? Now is great time to enroll as an Apple Health provider and grow your practice with new patients!

When you accept Apple Health patients at your practice, you help improve access to dental care and improve overall health in your community. Visit the HCA website to learn if you are eligible and enroll through the ProviderOne application.

Enroll in Apple Health.

Become an Apple Health community connector.

The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) may initiate the largest health coverage transition since the first Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment. You can connect with your patients to ensure they do not lose their Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage when the COVID-19 PHE ends.

When you sign up to be an Apple Health community connector, you'll have access to resources like talking points, key messages, and helpful tips to keep your clients insured when the PHE ends.

Learn more and register.

Learn about billing Apple Health and earn free CDE.

CDE: 1 credit hour

In partnership with the Washington State Health Care Authority, Arcora Foundation has developed a self-paced course on Apple Health Dental Billing Basics. By the end of the session, you will:

Learn the nuts and bolts of signing up and billing with Apple Health (Medicaid).
Have access to valuable resources and contact information for technical assistance.
Hear from current Apple Health dental providers about how they make Apple Health work in their practices.

Take online CDE course.

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Know others who may benefit from this newsletter? They can join our mailing list here. If you have ideas on how our communications can better serve you and your team, email us at info@arcorafoundation.org.

You are receiving this email because you previously joined us in our efforts to bend the arc of oral health toward equity or opted in via our website. We thank you for your valued partnership.

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Our mission: Bending the arc of oral health toward equity.

Our vision: All people enjoy good oral and overall health with no one left behind.

Visit ArcoraFoundation.or g to learn more