The American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Leavitt Partners published a study examining five accountable care organizations that have integrated oral health services in their delivery model.
The five ACOs studied were:
1. Delta Dental of Iowa, who are not technically an ACO but have a relationship with the state through Iowa's Dental Wellness Plan.
2. Hennepin Health in Hennepin County, Minn.
3. Permanente Dental Associates, in partnership with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan.
4. Trillium Community Health Plan an ACO with a recently integrated dental care model in Lane County, Ore.
5. Partners for Kids Pediatric ACO, created by Nationwide Children's Hospital serving Ohio.
The analysis of the services concluded:
• The ACOs that use a "whole health" philosophy of care consider oral health an integral component of patient's health.
• The organizations are using creative methods to fund dental care integration.
• The participating ACOs in the study see "promising results" in coordinating dental care with overall medical care, as well as improving patient outcomes.
• Integrated dental care in ACOs still presents a number of organizational and technical challenges.
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